Rootwork, an exhibition of recent works by Jillian Marie Browning, presents a selection of Browning’s works that create intersections between Black hair practices and culture with botany and vegetation.
Born in Ocala, Fla., the self-declared portrait artist thinks through the unique Black Southern experience. Rootwork not only refers to the roots of the hair—which in their own right are deeply connected to spirituality—but also to the Southern healing tradition. Rootwork is a practice of healing and protection interwoven with hoodoo and the practice of conjuring, originating in Southern enslaved customs, still practiced and carried through generations today. Southern rootworkers find themselves deeply connected to botany, vegetation, and the environment around them.
Similarly, Browning’s works on exhibit share these deep connections to Southern home spaces and vegetation native to the South. Often featuring the artist and representations of Browning’s family members, the works highlight the nuance that has become the contemporary Black experience.
Along with capturing an alternative form of self-portraiture, the artist utilizes the familiarity of hair culture and practices of Black childhood. Referencing Blue Magic Hair Grease in particular, a familiar feel and smell to many, Rootwork aims to highlight this deep relationship with the practice of doing hair, while also taking into consideration the histories and connections to the environment that Black Southern communities hold dear.
Browning is currently based in Birmingham, Ala., working as the assistant professor of photography at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They received their Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Central Florida and their Master of Fine Arts Degree in Studio Arts from Florida State University. Browning’s work has been exhibited across the Eastern region. This is the artist’s solo exhibition in Georgia.
