Meet Eve Brown | artist, teacher, yoga instructor, student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eve Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eve, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk is so important to me- I think in order to be alive in this complex, ever- changing world we have to accept that risk is going to be involved. No matter what we choose to do with our lives, not one of us can truly escape the risk of living. I spend a lot of my artistic practice processing this aspect of life- that change and uncertainty are inherent. One of my favorite quotes from Ram Dass is “you can do it like it’s a great weight on you, or you can do it as part of the dance”. I tend to relate to life and art through this lens- I am so curious how to dance with risk and uncertainty instead of being crushed by them. And then even when we’re crushed, how to dance with that too. I think this keeps my artistic practice very much alive- I am fueled by curiosity, questions and uncertainty. Challenging boxes and labels is woven into my creative/ life practice. It keeps my fascination sprawling. It’s not always easy or “marketable” to approach things in this way, but I do stay quite true to who I am and prefer that over things being easy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artistic practice is a living, ever-changing organism. It’s curious, adaptive and malleable. I work with many different mediums and materials, letting curiosity and fascination come first. I begin most of my work in my body- feelings and sensations lead me towards what needs to be made. I find this to be such a fantastically uncatchable practice. Built upon uncertainty and presence, my art weaves into my spiritual practice as well as the practice of simply being here as a messy human. There have of course been challenges and ease along the way. I think part of dancing with the challenges is learning that they will never go away- difficulty is part of life and it’s an important part of life. I think struggling can be a grounding sensation- after a while of things not going the way you might want them to, you have to finally face yourself and learn how to really listen to your inner voice and tend to your own needs. I think becoming your own best friend is one of the most important things we can do as artists and as humans. We’ve got to finally grow up. This internal relationship feeds us resilience and humility, two things I find really important on the artistic path. You have to be a little liberated from what others might think in order to make the work you need to make- and that can really only come from a deeper inner relationship and an okayness with letting go of how things unfold once you put something out into the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love food! And I love a variety of food experiences. If we had an unlimited budget I would take them to Gigi’s Italian restaurant in Candler Park, Pollo Primo for margaritas and tacos, Hell Yeah Gluten Free for delicious gf baked goods, El Progresso for lunch tacos, Little Bangkok off Chesirebridge for Thai food, Northern China Eatery for dumplings and grab a crunchy salad and cocktail from Talat Market, go to Chai Pani’s lunch buffet and of course get some wings. Oh and Delbar for dinner one night and Tassilis for their incredible wraps. There’s honestly so much good food in Atlanta. And of course I always take people to Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market!
I love taking people to Arabia mountain, the local farmer’s markets, Baby’s Place, South River Art Studios, or Whitespace for art events, the Plaza for a movie. I’d take them to Atlanta Streets Alive for a wonderful biking experience. But I especially love taking people to the quiet, in-between spaces of the city. The ones that still grow wild, are filled with life and haven’t yet been developed. They are so special, free of charge and filled with a sense of aliveness. They make the city it’s special self and I pray we don’t let all of those quiet spaces become developed.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I love this question. I think of life as sprawling, interconnected webs, and the artistic process really amplifies this blurriness. I believe there is no art without these webs- nobody can do it alone, and it is much more joyful to do it together. My practice is deeply held by my friendships near and far- studio visits, conversations, sharing of resources, and emotional support are lifelines to my practice. Annalise Nelson, Becca Rodriguez, Katie Burke, Hez Stalcap, Emma Chammah and Erin Palovick are just a few of the very important Atlanta friendships that keep me going as an artist. I also really value Jena Dost and Jessica Von Schlichten as mentors in my artistic/ somatic/ and human practices. Both have supported me in incredibly vital ways throughout my years of struggle and my years of more ease. I think the experience of knowledge being passed down human to human is an irreplaceable part of growth and learning. I am also really grateful to my partner Matthew Evans for being a caring, supportive human in my artistic endeavors, and someone who I can get really excited with about ideas and curiosities. Finally, I’m really grateful for this world- especially the immediate world around me of bugs, weather, birds, air, trash, soil, bacteria and life- for being endlessly supportive of my small human body and endlessly fascinating, complex and messy.

Website: https://www.earthenbodies.org/

Instagram: stillleekingshirtz

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-629249118

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@evebrown7605

Image Credits
personal photo: Paula Harding