Raven Kushner (she/her) was born in Los Angeles, CA, and is currently living and working in Houston, Texas. She is a fine art portrait painter whose work celebrates the black elite. Her lifelong obsession with the Victorian era led her to the little known history of the African American aristocracy of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This, in turn, led her to the surprising discovery that her lineage includes one such aristocrat – multi-millionaire farmer and entrepreneur Junius George Groves (April 12, 1859 – August 17, 1925). Thus began the lifelong scholarly research which informs her current art work.

Raven’s paintings emerge through a process that combines Transcendental Meditation, drawing, oil painting, and mixed media. She creates elevated, dreamy depictions of African American wealth, beauty, intellect, and aspiration. Through her work, she hopes to inspire people to not only appreciate the value of black people, but to see and celebrate the very highest potential within themselves.