Briana Pierre

Briana Pierre
Avatar
Mixed media, acrylic, chalk pastel, and charcoal on canvas42 x 42 inches
2020
Everything is upside down in Pierre’s post-apocalyptic world. Fish can fly, trees eternally burn, and even the canvas has its own life while unstretched and without support. In the midst of it all, a cow stands upright, with a new sense of self. Having recently evolved, the creature can morph and self-regulate in any way they please. Still, the world continues to move despite the creature’s autonomy. Avatar gives us a glimpse into a future, one that is exciting, colorful, and full of possibilities.

Briana Pierre
Pea-Cocky
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
2020
In this self-portrait, Pierre puts her best foot forward. The association of confidence and masculinity perpetuates archetypes like those of the wolves of Wall Street and playboy businessmen. By embracing the caricature and wearing the suit herself, Pierre puts herself into the position of desirable tycoon. While she dons the uniform of a powerful force to be reckoned with, the peacock in the corner is a humorous reminder to her and her audience that confidence can border arrogance.

Briana Pierre
Sandy
Acrylic on canvas
42 x 40 inches
2020-2023
Sandy is an homage to the artist’s childhood dog. She was a Yorkie who passed away in the summer of 2021, during the creation of the work. What began as a portrait of a beloved companion became a meditation on mourning and loss. The work represents a critical moment in Pierre’s grieving process, one that is complex and nuanced. Though Sandy has passed, she is surrounded by a flourishing abundance of plants. The contours of flora outline the transitory nature of life, where death and the possibility of life coexist. Sandy remains a life-long friend, immortalized in acrylic and surrounded by enduring growth.


Briana Pierre
A Site of Healing
Single channel video
8 minutes and 5 seconds
2023
As of 2018, Black women face a disproportionately high risk of mortality, infant mortality, birth complications, and inequity in healthcare services. In this intimate and vulnerable video piece, Pierre and her family disclose the various burdens that are placed onto Black women and their bodies by a prejudiced healthcare system. When the spaces meant to treat her become increasingly inaccessible, Pierre must find her own site for healing.

Brianna Pierre’s work appears in Open House: Object-making as a Therapeutic Practice.