ABOUT THE ARTIST

Goodstrangevibes is run by Lou, a queer feminist artist who promotes positive body image and caring for one’s mental health through colourful, often nude, illustrations. Lou's artwork is informed by both their academic insights as well as their past experience with an eating disorder and their experience with Anxiety and OCD. Goodstrangevibes' products include upcycled and standard tops, recycled notebooks, postcards, greeting cards, posters and original art.

Brand: Introducing goodstrangevibes

Goodstrangevibes was born as an art Instagram account in October 2017. The account features art about mental health, body positivity, feminism and escaping social norms. Goodstrangevibes stands for the importance of accepting and loving oneself and others alongside actively challenging injustice and harmful social norms.

Recent Events

​

Lou has had work featured in London's Doomed Gallery as part of a fierce and feminist fundraiser to raise money for Refuge, as well as in York and Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Inspiration

'In the process of recovery from an eating disorder I began drawing my own body - forcing myself to see my body as art and worthy of appreciation. I did this in the evening, a time I used to spend staring at my naked body feeling hate and repulsion. This new habit directly challenged these previous destructive thoughts, by drawing and liking the art I produced I then began to appreciate the body that had inspired them. This then progressed to me drawing a diversity of naked bodies accompanied by phrases such as 'there is no such thing as a bad or perfect body' - messages I wish I had heard more when I was younger and maybe could have prevented the illness I experienced.'

Lou Brown 2018

Awards 

April, 2018

Winner of Napapijiri Graphic Design Competition, London

Exhibitions 

November 2020

For All The Words I Have Not Been Able To Say I Have Cried Queer Tears And Made Art, Online 3D Exhibition, https://www.goodstrangevibes.com/exhibition

May 14th - 28th 2020

Cherry Retrospective, Online 3D Exhibition, https://www.cherrygalz.org/exhibition

October 10th 2019

#UseYourWords - Jami UK, Head Room Café, London

July 5th - 7th 2019

Creative Voices Mind Exhibition, Bell House, London

February 25th - 12th March 2019 

Keep Gazing, The Norman Rea Gallery, York

December 13th 2018

‘Tis The Season To Be Mindful, Off The Cuff, London

November 30th 2018

Newcastle Fine Art Postcard Auction 2018, Newcastle University Fine Art Department, Newcastle Upon Tyne

June 21st 2018

Nasty Women International Art Prize 2018 Showcase exhibition, Praxis Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne

​

" What a joy Louise Brown is to work with! Her pieces for the Nasty Women International Art Prize and NWNE residency really pushed her practice in a new direction and we could see huge development just over the short time of the residency.  Michaela and I are both delighted to continue supporting Louise’s work, particularly her projects linking mental health advocacy with art making, to this end Louise is one of 4 artists I am working with on a social practice research project during 2018/19. I look forward to collaborating with her on this and to seeing her practice and career go from strength to strength".

Lady Kitt, 

Chair of judges panel, Nasty Women International Art Prize '18

2018

Brown was supported by the Student Initiative Fund at Newcastle University to aid the development of goodstrangevibes from June 2019 to November 2019

Artist Residency

September, 2018

Nasty Women North East Residency

Education 

2016 - 2020

First Class Honours, Politics, Psychology and Sociology, Newcastle University

 © 2018 by Louise Brown