Artist, Art Therapist and Art Therapy Professor Sone-Seeré “JusRé” Burrell was born & raised in Richmond, VA. She is a board-certified art therapist and a professor serving in the graduate art therapy department at The George Washington University. 

 

She has always had each of her creative fingers in a different artistic “jar.” While she experiments with abstract art for catharsis, Sone-Seeré enjoys portrait work the most. She delights in capturing facial expressions and emotions while playing with vibrant, unusual color pairings, often incorporating fabric into her pieces. 

 

Her works span many themes, but most often, her creations show a strong commitment to:

• depicting honest BIPOC experiences 

• highlighting positive Black imagery

• documenting poignant historical moments within the African diaspora

• addressing the social injustices faced by marginalized populations

• exploring such treasures as Afrofuturism and Black Dandyism

• honoring the undervalued contributions of Black designers to the fashion industry 

• bringing attention to mental health concerns faced by BIPOC populations

• elevating resilience and celebrating a rich legacy of meaningful creative expression

 

Sone-Seeré aims to elevate the voices of the unheard, provoke thought, convey empathy, invoke joy, and inspire positive change through creative expression. She credits her artistic process to being a work-in-progress, always-learning, self-taught, experimentally open child of God who takes her work seriously but balances struggle with humor and lightness. Sone-Seeré loves a good metaphor and knows that she doesn’t have it all together (nobody does). From an early age, she felt a strong connection with creative expression and is grateful that her family cultivated a childhood full of artistic experiences for her. She believes in the healing power of creative expression and began to tap into painting after experiencing deep grief and loss. 

 

Sone-Seeré studied Graphic Communications at North Carolina A&T, majored in Graphic Communications and danced as a member of the E. Gwynn Dance Company. Her course of study at A&T allowed her to enroll in a color theory course she wouldn’t have otherwise sought out in a different major. That course would begin a journey through color mixing, experimentation and portrait work and healing that continues today. Her passion for the arts and mental health fuels her drive to share the healing power of the expressive arts with others. 

 

“It was painting and creating that would ultimately pull me from the depths of a dark period in my life. Artmaking and engaging in the creative process continues to be central to my healing process.” -Sone-Seeré

 

Sone-Seeré worked to receive her Master’s in mental health counseling from Walden University and earned her Master’s in Art Therapy from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She was later thrilled to be honored as the first woman commissioned to design and paint the official poster for the 31st Annual 2nd Street Festival in Richmond, VA in 2019. Sone-Seeré is a member of The Pierians Incorporated, a national art-centered organization. Through her service to The Richmond, VA Chapter, she helps to raise money for scholarships for young people pursuing music, art, theatre, and dance.

 

Whether she’s experimenting with color choices in her portraits, recording her painting through videos set to music, hosting paint experiences, sewing apparel and accessories, leading therapeutic painting classes, or providing creative outlets for others’ expression through art therapy, she always finds a way to keep art-making and creative expression at the center of her world.