Ever since Chase and Cruze Brown were old enough to hold a crayon, it was clear their drawings were exceptional.
“Their teachers would send back their work and circle things,” mom Nahdi Brown said. “Their nursery school teacher would see little signs that there was something special there.”
Over the years, their sketch books filled the basement of their home in Jamaica, Queens. Then their dad, Rick Brown, had an idea.
“We have to do something with this, this is not normal to have all this art sitting here tucked under a desk somewhere for the rest of our lives,” he said.
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The family brainstormed, did the research and just launched “2 Brown Boys,” a line of greeting cards showcasing the brothers’ art.
“When kids see themselves as those powerful figures, I think that’s important,” Cruze Brown said. “It really shows the potential and what they could do.”
The series is a mix of drawings from their archives along with new material.
The boys, now 15 and 17, are self-taught and focus on creating diverse characters.
When they were kids, they say they didn’t see many figures who looked like them.
“I would draw myself white, because cartoons, I was reflecting what I saw,” Chase Brown said. “I don’t want other kids to have to go through that.”
The brothers said they aren’t competitive and usually collaborate more than compete.
It’s a true team effort, with Nahdi and Rick Brown handling the business side. In doing so, Chase and Cruze are learning the ins and outs of being entrepreneurs.
“We’re multi-faceted, and it’s important for the world to see that especially the young people,” Nahdi Brown said.
The boys are branching out and incorporating their work in fashion and exploring the digital world of NFTs.
They told Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson that if you have a talent, you have to show it to the world.
You can order cards at their website. To learn more, you can check them out on social on Facebook and Instagram, just search for ‘2brownboysgreetings.’
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