Justin M. Brown

Justin M. Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Film at Boston College. His research focuses on the arts of the African Diaspora, particularly the Caribbean from slavery to the present. He holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art from Yale University, alongside a B.A. from the University of Rhode Island and an M.A. from the University of Delaware. His scholarship explores visual and material culture of slavery, Suriname Maroon art, and Atlantic water spirits.

Current research includes The Cosmic Calabash, analyzing 19th-century Surinamese calabashes as historical sources revealing enslaved perspectives. He also investigates creolization, Afro-Caribbean ritual objects, and African Atlantic funerary arts. Brown has held curatorial roles at the National Gallery of Art, Yale Center for British Art, and Worcester Art Museum. Supported by institutions like the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts and Yale’s MacMillan Center, his work bridges art history with interdisciplinary studies of identity and material culture.

As a first-generation college graduate, Brown emphasizes collaboration across disciplines and mentors students from diverse backgrounds. His family heritage includes Caribbean and African diasporic connections, shaping his scholarly and pedagogical approaches.