Gullah Me Project
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Winner, Best Spiritual/Religious Work, at Moja Juried Arts Festival (Sept 30 - Oct 29, 2017) at The City Gallery, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC.
“Gullah Me: The Tree is Me,” is a self-portrait from my “Gullah Me” collection. This work is symbolic of my healing after the death of my beloved Mother in 2015. In May of 2017 (my birth month), I went to have a mammogram. I was tempted to get unnerved because I sat in the same waiting room and put on the hospital gown in the same place where I sat with my mother, who passed away from that dreaded disease. As I waited for my results, my Mother’s love and courage bouyed me. I was able to calmly see the process through, fully braced for whatever news I might get. My results were normal. After a delicious lunch, I sat outside in the shaded park behind the hospital, and watched the river flow by. The tree & water whispered healing. I became one with their message. Mixed media: digital photo- collage & painting, printed with archival dyes on acid-free matte and glossy photo papers. Prints are watermark free. |
"Gullah Me: The Tree Is Me" (2017). Digital photomontage and digital painting. 11 x14.6 in.
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Gullah Me: Gallery
These artworks are from my "Gullah Me" collection, (2016 to 2017). The forms and colors reflect the African retentions of the Gullahgeechee nation. The Gullahgeechee peoples are the descendants of African slaves, free blacks, and Native Americans who inhabited the coastal areas of South Carolina and neighboring states from the 16th to 21st Centuries. The works displayed are mostly of self-portraits taken in the aftermath of the death of both my parents. Now, I advocate for the proper and timely care of my younger brother who had a stroke and can no longer speak for himself.
Identity is the main subject of this section of the project. This is because who I am is more than the sum of what I believe, dream, and know. The works explore the different aspects of who I am as a Gullahgeechee daughter, sister, scientist, & medicine woman. How I see myself is also shaped by my relationship to my family, community, and nation. So, while the shapes and colors say "Gullah Me," the content also speaks of "Other Me." They show aspects of myself that are often invisible in the caregiving mode. They also show parts of myself that became more prominent after the death of my parents.
The emotions behind the works were forged by my decade-long experience as caregiver for my dying father, mother, and brother. The time and space of caregivers are unpredictable. Hence, times for self-reflection are brief. So, I pour my artistic activity like quicksilver, into the spaces and times present. Paucity of space and unpredictability of creative time need efficient use of resources. Hence, I used digital instruments only to create the samples shared.
- Verneda Lights
Identity is the main subject of this section of the project. This is because who I am is more than the sum of what I believe, dream, and know. The works explore the different aspects of who I am as a Gullahgeechee daughter, sister, scientist, & medicine woman. How I see myself is also shaped by my relationship to my family, community, and nation. So, while the shapes and colors say "Gullah Me," the content also speaks of "Other Me." They show aspects of myself that are often invisible in the caregiving mode. They also show parts of myself that became more prominent after the death of my parents.
The emotions behind the works were forged by my decade-long experience as caregiver for my dying father, mother, and brother. The time and space of caregivers are unpredictable. Hence, times for self-reflection are brief. So, I pour my artistic activity like quicksilver, into the spaces and times present. Paucity of space and unpredictability of creative time need efficient use of resources. Hence, I used digital instruments only to create the samples shared.
- Verneda Lights
