Artist Bio

Paul Corbit Brown, 40, has been photographing since he was twelve years old. His work has carried him throughout the United States and to Mexico, Kenya, Jamaica, Russia, Israel, Laos, Thailand and Rwanda. Brown has a gift for simultaneously accepting the humanity of each person he depicts and unsentimentally sizing them up. His photographs are clear-eyed looks at the difficult situations the individuals portrayed in them live in, but because of their directness and compassion they are hauntingly beautiful.

These photographs are not the scenes we see on CNN or the newsweeklies, nor in the tourist brochures. They are part of Brown's way of seeing, of honest observation and trying to make sense of the passing hum of daily life on this troubled yet beautiful planet.

His exhibitions have appeared in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, Columbus, Ohio, Minneapolis, Minnesota and at a number of galleries in West Virginia. His aesthetic sureness has a seductive force that propels you into confronting troublesome spiritual and moral issues. More of his work can be seen on the web at www.paulcorbitbrown.com.

Brown supports himself through his work with numerous Human Rights organizations as well as freelance work for countless publications and the sale of his prints.

Artist's Statement

My most recent project was an eight-week trip to Rwanda in the summer of 2005 to begin a documentary to attempt to understand the long-range effects of the 1994 genocide as well as the resiliency of a people struggling to overcome the past as they forge a new future. I began interviewing and photographing people from all walks of life in order to come to understand the origins of the genocide, how the genocide affected them, how it continues to affect them, and how they are working to overcome these effects through faith-based and other reconciliation programs, government regulations and the role of nongovernmental organizations in the healing/rebuilding process. The project will also serve as a remembrance so time and history won’t diminish or downplay the true depth of the horrors of genocide. I believe there is a great deal to learn from this that can be applied to the functioning of our own communities. It is my hope that through coming to understand the nature of the origins of such horrendous acts we can learn to avoid them in the future. It is also my belief that if the people of Rwanda can learn to reconcile after the loss of over 1 million people, other groups can learn to reconcile their differences as well.

I am deeply appreciative of all the wonderful people in Rwanda who opened their homes and their hearts to me as a total stranger so we may all learn and grow together. My life has been greatly enriched and blessed by coming to know each of them.

I am also grateful to everyone at the University of Minnesota's Human Rights Department, the International Leadership Institute, and the numerous organizations and individuals who continue to support my work through the purchase and exhibition of my photographs. Peace is worthwhile work for each of us.

I sincerely hope we may all be able to take another step toward tolerance and growing the culture of peace in our homes, our communities, our nations and this whirling blue orb we all call home.