Michaela Pilar Brown graduated from Howard University. Creating provocative installations and performances inspired by history, childhood memories, and African-American cultural icons, Pilar Brown documents staged events through dreamlike film and photography often using herself, family, and friends as the models. She is most interested in presenting the challenges of race and gender, rather than challenging perceptions of race and gender; the day-to-day realities of life experience as an African-American (woman or man) are shown in bold and raw, yet minimal compositions juxtaposed with imagery referencing fairy tales, violence, sex, and beauty.