A few years ago on a beautiful spring day in Saint Helena Island at the Historic Penn Center, I invited a few of my favorite Gullah artists to collaborate on a photoshoot on honoring Gullah Art and southern entertaining. One of those artists was Mahoganee Amiger. I will never forget meeting her and the great Dianne Britton Dunham, who is now an ancestor, and both of them forced me to claim the title of a creative, which I still don’t feel quite comfortable being described as. Years have gone by and I am always amazed at Mahoganee’s creativity and commitment to Gullah Culture.
From COVID to babies and many life events, we have both followed and supported each other’s work and a few weeks ago, she reached out to me with inspiration for a project inspired by the BSB Media Newsletter titles, which I spend way more time thinking about than I would like to admit but are great way for me to remember my childhood memories of growing up in the Lowcountry. I was flattered and excited to partner with her. What she came up with is an ode to Gullah culture and foodways weaving in her personal heritage and story.
Series Title: Toile From Da Soil
Medium: Digital Art Design
Literary Arts
History of the American South Gullah Geechee
In collaboration with BSB MEDIA
For the Da Land and Water Resilience Initiative of Responsible ARTistry, Inc.
https://www.responsibleartistry.org/dalandandwadaresiliencetour
On what inspires her to preserve and honor her culture through art, Amiger says, “I’ve been going through phases of grief from loss of loved ones and reflection of time spent at family gatherings since the pandemic in 2020 which has also allowed space for me to excel creatively. Coming back home to South Carolina in 2010 introduced me to my Gullah Geechee Heritage and reignited my love and passion for my Culture.”
There are portals to memories everywhere that allow for inspiration. This centerpiece of Dried Okra made me “feel” Memories of my Ancestors. It inspired this series. It made me sad, joyful, reflective and made my imagination soar. Another piece of me was renewed and opened to create. Mahoganee Aminer
Much of what inspires this series is centered around the Gullah Geechee and Black Southern Foodways. Amiger describes, “Our growing, cultivating and cooking food has always been in Community and I wanted to honor that part of our history. Our Culinary Artists in the Fields and in the Kitchen.”
In discussing what powers creatives hold in advocating and building community, Amiger describes, ” I’m also reminded that as creative place-makers we hold power in harnessing from the future, the energy of the past, and the love that we curate simply by living, loving and existing in our Community. We are healers, advocates and storytellers through our work as artists, whether it’s in our music compositions, lyrics, poetry, literary works, visual art, cooking, farming, sewing or weaving baskets.”
This work is a continuation of what we’ve always done as Creators, heal through creating and using God’s Creations. Mahoganee Amiger
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Michiel is a Black Southern Belle living a lowcountry life. I love all things fashion, home decor and southern! When I am not running around doing fun stuff for Black Southern Belle, I live in antique stores and have a minor obsession with historic homes :)
