A memorial to my ancestors who were kidnapped from their homeland never to know the embrace of their mothers again taken to a land far away.

In A Land Far Away

We don't know for certain how much of our lineage is tied to Royalty exactly but many of us would like to think that our ancestors had a sense of dignity and nobility that puts them above the lower classes of society. However that is reflected in how we choose to live our lives and the paths we take today. 
Whether my people were even leaders or artisans (of which I believe are the latter), they had lives long before enslavement thus, I come from a long line of practical contributors to society.

Royal Heritage

A random piece created with no specific theme, possibly with the lost treasures of Egypt in mind.

Untitled (Yellow)

There was no way of knowing what the future held on the other side of enslavement thus the skills and innate talents of a people had to be cultivated and used for one's own gain and place in this world. The Promised Land was not a physical thing but a spiritual one having Faith in your own two hands and God above.

Doorway to The Promised Land

Funny thing, I created this piece 26 years before I took a DNA test that determined that I was actually 7.6% Maasai. That said, I've always thought of their culture as colorful, beautiful, simple and spiritual.

Ode To The Maasai

Africa is abundant in natural resources but outsiders are quick to call it a 3rd world continent, it is not and never really was.

Black Gold

The treasures of Egypt have been long sought after, stolen and never returned. How would you like your dead to be dug up and put on display in a glass box?

Giza

Germany took control of the area which it called South West Africa in the late 1800s. 
Namibia is a country on the south-west coast of Africa. It is one of the driest and most sparsely populated countries on earth. 
The discovery of diamonds in 1908 prompted an influx of Europeans. 
South Africa seized it during the First World War and administered it under a League of Nations mandate. It is the only African country where German is spoken outside of its native country. In 2004 - Germany offers formal apology for colonial-era killings of tens of thousands of ethnic Hereros of which 60,000 where killed. 
 
Namibians achieved independence in 1990 after a bush war of almost 25 years. Inter-racial reconciliation encouraged the country's white people to remain and they still play a major role in farming and other economic sectors.

Namibia

Pride in the beauty of your culture is not a sin.

Pride - Heritage II

The African desert known as the Sahara hold ancient secrets and untold treasures of rich cultures and proud people.

Sahara

Regardless of where you are from, there will always be a place of solace waiting for you.

Oasis

This piece is about the mistrust between tribes. During the times of the transatlantic enslavement of millions of Africans, many were sold by their own countrymen.

Red Dune

Currently there are 6 matriarchal societies that have been thriving for centuries, in these communities around the world women have overseen everything from politics to economics. FRom China to Ghana, from Costa Rica to Indonesia, and some other places where women may not necessarily be the prime leader but are in leadership positions, positive, rational and courageous women deserve respect for guiding society in the right direction.

Remember The Matriarch

I created this for my mother as a gift for Mother's day. Despite all she put me through, I still had to have respect for her. She loved me in her own way, it wasn't perfect but it was something.

Timeless Beauty

Kidnapped and thrown in chains to a far off place where their culture, names, dignity, personhood and life where stripped from them, beaten and raped, humiliated treated less than dogs, humans treated like livestock brought here to endure atrocities to be forgotten but their descendants never forgot and the remnants of racism and hatred from those who tell us to "Get over it" will never let them forget.

Goodbye Motherland

An ecological themed piece. We don't care enough for and about the planet we're on.

Earth & Sun

I won a NYC art contest with this piece in 2000 when I lived there. It represents what people hold dear, their vanity and value as a person rather than their priceless soul.

God of Vanity, God of Faith

Inspired by Piet Mondrian's 1929 "Composition with red yellow and blue."

Afrocentric Mondrian

The Ankh represents life and fertility, As an  artist who happens to be a woman, I have both but not in the typical, generic way.

Silver Lining

2 panels, 12 x 24 each, and expression of my personality hidden behind a mask.

The Hidden Me

I am a Christian and I don't care who knows it. I don't use my faith as some politician's righteous tool to condemn people, It is my solace, my peace, my go to when the world becomes too much to bear. This piece is an abstract of the crown Jesus wore when he was crucified. I had been baptized 10 years when I created this and whoever owns it will be blessed all the days of their lives.

Crown of Glory

Language is the core of culture, without it, how can a person communicate? There are to date 1500-2000 languages spoken in Africa alone. Though Arabic is what's most spoken now, Amharic, Berber, Portuguese, Oromo, Igbo, Yoruba, Zulu and Shona are still spoken throughout the 54 countries.  This piece has been sold.

In the ancient tongue of my ancestors

An abstract interpretation of the symbols and figures used in ancient writings.

Primitive Codes

by the time the 2000's came around my work started to evolve into a freer form of abstract using fabric and paint. No longer did I confine the elements on cardboard but placed them directly on the canvas with a splatter effect for the few works I did between 2001 - 2005 which was when I ended this decade old series.

Autumn Butterfly

Patterns and design Inspired by the Zulu tribes of South Africa.

A little Zulu

Watching a nature documentary about the Congo and the low land gorillas at the time inspired me to create this piece.

Congo

A rare round piece I was happy to create, filling the space with vibrant colors and fabric pieces. The image is sort of a celebration of abundance and thanksgiving for life.

Thankful For the Sunrise

Early works (1995-2005) by Artist Zulma E Brooks
Afro Dimensionalism is the specific reference to the connections between African-American and African Roots expressed through mixed media works on canvas. Set in a collage of images, figures and  symbols that represent lost memories and clues to an unknown ancestry and heritage floating in a timeless void.

Afro Dimensionalism - Heritage Abstracts