Llanakila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victoria Brown, known by the alias Llanakila (La-Na-Key-Luh), is a Jamaican-American artist, painter, digital illustrator, and digital artist.[1][2] Her work focuses on empowering Black women, often using bright, colorful lines to symbolize energy and magic.[3] She describes exploring the "infinite possibilities of outer space," and creates work that would not be seen in people's lived, daily realities.[4]
Born in Brooklyn, Llanakila became interested in art as a 7th grader living in Louisiana.[5] Because of her family's military background, she attended over five high schools. Art became a way to express emotions when connecting with other classmates was difficult.[6] Llanakila graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2014 with a degree in printmaking.[1] Wanting to expand her artistic practice, her skills in animation in video are self-taught.[7]
She is the sister of photographer Nakeya Brown, whose Hair Stories Untold series went viral on Tumblr.[7] The name Llanakila comes from a luau she attended in Hawaii, a place that greatly influenced her during a monthlong stay there.[5] It is Hawaiian for "victorious," a play on her given name.[4] She cites Kate Moross, Ruffmercy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Shantell Martin, street art, hieroglyphics, West African spirituality, music, her sister, and herself as artistic inspirations.[2][5][7]