Joy Lab 2.0: The Next Experiment continues Sanah Brown-Bowers’ exploration of joy as a spiritual practice, generational inheritance, and act of intentional creation. Rooted in Christian faith and inspired by Afrofuturism, the exhibition blends playful materials, imaginative figures, and interactive experiences to investigate how joy evolves across generations.

Through experimentation with form, storytelling, and ancestral memory, Brown-Bowers explores the relationship between faith, family, and the future. Robo Nana, the beloved universal grandmother and futuristic guide, embodies the wisdom, affirmation, and unconditional love passed down through generations.

The exhibition invites viewers to participate in the ongoing cultivation of joy, discovering how laughter, prayer, imagination, and encouragement can strengthen connections to self, community, and God. More than a continuation, Joy Lab 2.0 expands the experiment, challenging audiences to consider joy not simply as a feeling, but as an intentional practice and a legacy worth carrying forward.

Sanah Brown-Bowers is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans realistic portrait painting, sculpture, shadow boxes, installations, and immersive experiences. Rooted in her Christian faith, her work explores themes of legacy, spiritual restoration, and Black joy. Through layered materials, including African textiles, archival imagery, wood, and found objects, she creates narrative-rich environments that honor ancestry, celebrate community, and reveal the divine presence in everyday life.

In 2024, Brown-Bowers earned her MFA in Multidisciplinary Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and relocated from Texas to Baltimore. She currently teaches at MICA while maintaining an active studio practice, developing work that reflects her commitment to faith, healing, and creative ministry.

Her work has been exhibited in galleries, public spaces, and educational institutions, offering immersive and reflective experiences that invite viewers to encounter beauty, embrace hope, and connect with the spiritual dimensions of art and everyday life.

My artistic practice is rooted in portraiture, realism, family history, and Black joy. For over 15 years, I have explored identity through color, pattern, fabric, and photography-inspired imagery, drawing from my family’s stories, my daughter’s journey, and nostalgic memories of growing up in Queens, New York, during the 1980s and 1990s.

My work has evolved from realistic portraits into multidisciplinary installations that incorporate sculpture, collage, textiles, film, sound, and interactive elements. Through projects like My Double Dutch Family and my “family altars,” I transform personal memories into immersive experiences celebrating ancestry, resilience, cultural identity, and community. Grounded in my Christian faith, I approach my art as a portal for reflection, spiritual restoration, and connection. My work challenges limited representations of African Americans by centering love, dignity, and the richness of everyday life. Ultimately, I create to honor my ancestors, celebrate Black joy, preserve family legacies, and inspire future generations.