BY SOFIA LUCIANO SANTIAGO
Artist, designer, and community organizer, Briyana (@briyana.nicole) envisions a future where artists of color can express and bring forward their art, craft, music, and other forms of expression in a space of their own.
“My art is, I guess you could say a lot of it is political. The black experience, black people as a whole, and just the culture around me right now. My environment inspires me the most to create,” said Briyana.
In 2020, Briyana started drawing, painting, and running her own business YANA by Briyana full-time. As time went on, she saw the necessity for spaces where she could feel free and comfortable to share her art and have that sense of community with other artists in Baton Rouge.
As she focused on her art and expanding her clothing brand, she saw the environment around the art scene in Baton Rogue was either male-dominated or white-dominated, leaving little to no visibility to the growing underground artistic community, which mostly comprises of people within minority communities but more specifically, promising and passionate Black artists seeking to create a space where they can collaborate and celebrate each other in Baton Rouge.
“A couple of months before I started my art career I texted one of my cousins who is an artist for advice, and one of the things she told me was to create the spaces you want to see yourself in. So I kind of took that and started building my career off of that advice that she gave me. I noticed there weren't any spaces for me to go and be comfortable so I had to create my own space and invite people in with me,” said Briyana.
Briyana started curating spaces for Black artists in Baton Rouge in April 2021 with her first exhibition titled: “Created Spaces” at the Yes We Cannibal gallery. The exhibition was based on a collaborative art installation hosted by Briyana, where she showcased a series of paintings. Baton Rogue writer and photographer Ugo, artist and painter Isaiah78th, and performances by musician Diego known as Diegeaux. The exhibition comprised a lineup of all Black artists, creating a space to celebrate Black artists and Black art.
“The exhibition was open for a month at Yes We Cannibal in Baton Rouge. That whole experience inspired me to create more events, and that is kind of how YANAFEST was brought up because I could do it at a larger scale but only on one day, and have it be a festival instead of an art gallery installation,” said Briyana.
YANAFEST is an Arts & Music Festival created by Briyana that has become a staple for the underground artistic community in Baton Rogue as a way to connect with each other and sell with a community of vendors that range from art sellers, clothing brands, jewelry designers and beyond.
The first YANAFEST was celebrated on October 30th, 2021 after Hurricane Ida. It became an opportunity for artists and sellers that were affected by the hurricane to get back on their feet or return to making and selling art after the natural disaster, said Briyana.
Artists like New Orleans native Bad Luck Lex, 1200 Tigga, Michael Armstead, Jade with the Fade, and Bradon Paris, headlined the festival while over 20 vendors were able to attend like Nueve Worldwide, Paisa Universe, Jewels of Amina, GTFCreep, BYGONE, as many others.
“Everyone of the vendors were either Black or Queer or both. I just put out an advertisement looking for vendors, and people really found me. And this was right after Hurricane Ida last year (2021), so every vendor was able to come for free. I provided everything the table, the space. And they could just come and make that money. A lot of them were from New Orleans and that area to kind of get them back on their feet and get them back into their creative endeavors after the hurricane,” said Briyana.
Yana seeks to create a space that is beyond just a festival. Through YANAFEST, Briyana is creating a center in the community where Black artists and Queer artists can find a space to be and share the talent that exists in the Baton Rogue underground scene.
“Just making a space for people can come, have fun, shop, and support different small businesses. Learn new artists, there are a lot of artists and people who deserve recognition in Baton Rogue and also a space for myself because I am always a vendor as well. Giving the people a platform,” said Briyana.
The second annual celebration of YANAFEST was during the weekend of Juneteenth this year (2022) and it comprised over 15 Black-owned businesses and 16 artists performing at the festival throughout the entire day.
“We had music playing in the background, photographers were there taking pictures, and kids were running around, so I think it was just a good environment. People were dancing and enjoying the music,” said Briyana.
Briyana prioritizes these spaces are safe for the artists, vendors, and people that attend the festival. As an organizer and artist Briyana is very intentional about who is able to take up space in the festival to ensure a space where people can be and enjoy themselves.
“I like to make it known that this is all about love and inclusivity. Im very outspoken about a lot of social issues, and Im always giving an opinion. So I feel like the people who would disagree with me, or make the space uncomfortable or something wouldn't even be in the spaces that im in. Im very verbal with the things I find important. Other people who think like me, find me and we create together,” said Briyana.
CREATIVE CREDITS:
PHOTOS BY TRINH BUI
STYLING BY DONAKA KATHERINE
MAKEUP BY LAURYN HINTON
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