Sea Breeze Journal of Contemporary Liberian Writings

Leslie Lumeh

I Called Him Dr. Brown

Most people called him A.B., particularly his family members, but for no specific reason I always called him Dr. Brown. I considered Aaron to be my elder brother because he was a friend of my elder brother, through whom I came to know Aaron. That was back in the early 1980s when I was just a sophomore student at BWI (Booker Washington Institute).

It was during one of my weekend trips to Monrovia that I met a relatively simple-looking man in conversation with my brother. They were talking about art they referred to as the “Kountry Kartoons.” Today the “Kountry Kartoon” is carried at the back of The Inquirer Newspaper in Monrovia, having been introduced there in the early 1990s by H. Wantue Major, one of Liberia’s most famous artists who is presently residing in the USA. He also was a close friend to Aaron.

I remember the late Aaron Fallah Brown for his simplicity, his love of the arts and his patriotism. He was never moved by anything that had nothing to do with the arts or the country. If, for instance, he admired a nice piece of music, Aaron would discuss the piece with you in detail the name of the artist, how they came up, the first song or album that brought the artist to stardom, etc. The same goes for architecture, automobiles and fashion.

Having acquired most of his education in the USA, and learning about that country’s culture, Aaron also knew the power of the artist in tradtional society. He always said, “Artists can change any society positively if they work collectively”, and that’s why he came back from America in late 2004, to do just that.

The DeZign ROOM Project conceived by Aaron was born in Monrovia just months following his return to Liberia. This DeZign ROOM was established to:

Cater to youth in every community,
Guide upcoming and practicing artists (like me),
Train youth to train others in different disciplines from sculpture to construction to the fine arts.

To make his dream a reality, Aaron sounded a call to all artists in the country to join him. I answered to this call in March 2005, upon my return to Liberia from the Ivory Coast. I became his closest aide and apprentice for the DeZign ROOM Project.

I admired Dr. Brown particularly while he was doing the sign for the project. He never employed any computer technology. It was done entirely using his free hand and brush; not that he had any dislike for science and technology as such; he always wanted to be a contributor to progress, but he always wanted to be original and natural.

Most artists in Liberia will remember the fallen artist for introducing many different kinds of artistic mediums and techniques in the country, which have left a lasting image on our works, starting with the introduction of pointillism in the early 1980s following his first return from America, to the wood burning technique, which he introduced just yesterday it seems, in 2005.

It is unfortunate that he is no more, for many of us have not yet fully digested the new ways of artistic x-pression that he introduced. No one should be surprised that his spirit is going to lead us through the shades of black-n-white on ‘Brown’ (his name) to the path of perfection. In the not-far-away years to come, the art of wood burning by Liberian artists will find its way out of Liberia to international art exhibitions around the globe. Consider this a prophecy!

Like most artists, Aaron had the sincere spirit of giving to and forgiving others. I once remember him telling me, “Leslie, don’t never pray to God and ask him to rain Holy Ghost fire upon your enemies. He told us to love our enemies.”

I strongly believe it is this giving spirit that led the artist Aaron Fallah Brown to share some of his most amazing artistic talents with some of us who were willing to be his protégés. Aaron would give everything to a friend in need. He respected everyone and expected his due respect. This is where some artists fell short with him, with excuses such as “The man too hard to work with – he always wan what he say to be the final word.” But who else’s saying could be final in a country when Aaron Fallah Brown was virtually the Leonardo da Vinci of our times?

Today, the streets of Monrovia are crowded with young yanna boyz (street peddlers) pushing wheelbarrows containing goods from simple shower slippers to imitations of Pierre Cardin coats. Aaron left on his drawing board a sketch of a carrier for these boyz that would enable them to sit in it along with their goods, and peddle it around, instead of pushing loads all day, as he said, “leaving blisters in their palms and corns under their feet, for Christ!” During their selling hours, this object would serve as a carrier, and at the close of day or time, become a locked storage container for their goods. It had a top that would fold out while they were working to keep their faces out of the hot sun.

Aaron did not just know what he knew, he was equally willing to work and teach. I set eyes on Aaron in the early '80s, but didn’t get the opportunity to work along with and learn from him until 2005. The artist died at 55 years old. It will probably take our country at least another 55 years to get someone else like him. Sometimes some people will know a particular job, but they may not be willing to teach others, or even work professionally with others. Aaron was not like that; he was different. That’s why I always called him Dr. Brown, and perhaps that's why he never objected.