CHAMPION
WHAT MOVES YOU
CHAMPION WHAT MOVES YOU
A talented painter and activist from Melbourne, Australia, Aretha Brown is a powerful force that does not shy away from using her voice and her art to speak up for the marginalized and disenfranchised. In 2017 and 2018, Aretha made headlines for her speeches given at the Invasion Day protest in Melbourne. The then year 11 student addressed a crowd of “approximately 50,000 protestors calling for the date of the national holiday to be changed and fighting to make Indigenous Australian history education mainstream.”
Being gay, or being a woman, or being Aboriginal is like the most important thing to me, and its also the least important thing to me.
A talented painter and activist from Melbourne, Australia, Aretha Brown is a powerful force that does not shy away from using her voice and her art to speak up for the marginalized and disenfranchised. In 2017 and 2018, Aretha made headlines for her speeches given at the Invasion Day protest in Melbourne. The then year 11 student addressed a crowd of “approximately 50,000 protestors calling for the date of the national holiday to be changed and fighting to make Indigenous Australian history education mainstream.”
Being gay, or being a woman, or being Aboriginal is like the most important thing to me, and its also the least important thing to me.
Her work is influenced by her own identity as
a “queer, Blak, young person living in the confinements of an urban colony.” There will be no misinterpretation in her work: like the artist herself, her art is direct. Strong pointed words occasionally featured, calling out the specific issue, Aretha uses bold patterns and a monochromatic color palette to punctuate
her experience.
In 2019, Aretha founded the “Kiss my Art collective,” a group made up of young women and femme folk from diverse backgrounds to champion young women and non-binary artists. The group’s mission is to reclaim public spaces using street art, painting, and mixed media. Since its inception, the collective has created over 53 murals and public artworks in Australia, Great Britain, India and Indonesia. Aretha encapsulates the “Champion What Moves You” statement, pushing boundaries, uplifting her community, empowering those around her and moving culture forward. She is an inspiration to those that use not only their voice but their art as extension of true activism. She truly is at the forefront of change.
Her work is influenced by her own identity as
a “queer, Blak, young person living in the confinements of an urban colony.” There will be no misinterpretation in her work: like the artist herself, her art is direct. Strong pointed words occasionally featured, calling out the specific issue, Aretha uses bold patterns and a monochromatic color palette to punctuate
her experience.
In 2019, Aretha founded the “Kiss my Art collective,” a group made up of young women and femme folk from diverse backgrounds to champion young women and non-binary artists. The group’s mission is to reclaim public spaces using street art, painting, and mixed media. Since its inception, the collective has created over 53 murals and public artworks in Australia, Great Britain, India and Indonesia. Aretha encapsulates the “Champion What Moves You” statement, pushing boundaries, uplifting her community, empowering those around her and moving culture forward. She is an inspiration to those that use not only their voice but their art as extension of true activism. She truly is at the forefront of change.
Signkid
Location: United Kingdom
Craft: Rapper/Producer
What they Champion: Access, Connection
Joshua Marin
Location: United States
Craft: Cobbling
What they Champion: Sustainability
Soulhan
Location: China
Craft: Rapping
What they Champion: Cultural Preservation
Ryota Daimon
Location: Japan
Craft: Artist and Skateboarder
What they Champion: Self-Expression
Las Diablas
Location: Mexico
Craft: Softball + Clothes Making
What they Champion: Female Empowerment
