Walking through the work of multidisciplinary artist Bria Edwards, her images of equestrian life feel like they are galloping right off the canvas. The materials Edwards uses, “heavy body paints, sawdust, pumice gel,” bring them to life and are the cornerstone of her work. “It’s how I make my art more vivid, like a writer would use their words, to retell these riders’ stories,” she stated.
Edward’s solo exhibition, What We Do, We’ve Always Done — now on display at the Julio Fine Arts Gallery at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland — explores an intimate examination of Black leisure, centered in cowboy culture.
“Ask About Me,” Bria Edwards, 2026. Image: courtesy the artist
Standing before a portrait of Ray Lockamy, his horse gear dangling on his shoulder, Edwards explained how a conversation with the cowboy inspired her exhibition’s name. “We were in conversation, and I asked him what makes this cowboy culture inherently Black,” she recalled. “And he answered, ‘What we do, we’ve always done.’ I jotted that down because it was so beautifully said.”
Celebrating cowboy culture has become more prominent in the Black community over the past decade, as people have begun to understand that this way of life began with African American ranch hands who had no other choice but to ride.
“It’s the story of Americana. We have to look back to the history of enslaved people forced into roles as skilled horsemen on plantations to the present day, where Black equestrians continue to claim space in a cultural landscape not always seen as their own,” declared Dr. Lauren Davidson of Museum Nectar Art Consultancy, who curated Edwards’ exhibition.
“This is a longstanding tradition in the Black community, but we don’t know about that. Bringing these stories to life, some of them which have been passed down through generations, is not merely a depiction, it is a reclamation of space, history, indelible joy, and heritage, reminding us that the story of this country is incomplete without the story of the Black rider.”
Edwards, who is also an avid photographer, discovered this equestrian world while out with friends. “Everyone was being introduced, and it was, ‘Oh, well, George, he rides horses. You should go out and take pictures,” she shared. “It wasn’t even something I was thinking about, but that made it even more intriguing.” The photographs that she used as the basis for her paintings are also featured in the exhibition.
That first encounter led to further discoveries, such as how much care goes into prepping a horse for riding, as depicted in Edwards’ portraits. “It’s an hour process to even get on the horse, the maintenance,” she declared.
“That was something that really struck me because I’ve always been about leisure and what that looked like for our people. And many times, people couldn’t even find the words to define it. Seeing that amount of time and care for something that was outside of yourself, helped me reframe my thinking around it.”
Image: courtesy of the artist
Edwards and Dr. Davidson will be hosting a guided gallery tour of What We Do, We’ve Always Done on March 27. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a closer look at Edwards’ work and discover even more layers of detail. “Some of the pieces have embroidery and rhinestones,” she pointed out.
“Black people are just very expressive in how we dress and present ourselves. But I want everything to always be subtle because I want it to feel like it’s natural, just like who we are.”