SALT & EARTH
May-June 2022, The D’aguilar Art Foundation
Salt & Earth Group Exhibition
Shacqueel Coleby, Dyah Neilson and Omar Williams
Open 5th May – 16th June 2022
“The D’Aguilar Art Foundation is delighted to present Salt and Earth, a collaborative exhibition featuring Shacqeel Coleby, Dyah Neilson and Omar Williams.
The exhibition brings together artists that use symbols from The Bahamian landscape to reveal intricate stories about self, Bahamian lore and spirit.
Coleby and Neilson’s works feature fictional figures surrounded by a cornucopia of flora and fauna that weave together a these narratives – symbols like birds, shells and plants remind us of spirits, freedom, and the ancestors. While Coleby’s work arises from community stories and Neilson’s works are more personal, they both use these symbols from the Caribbean landscape to connect nature and the divine.Coleby pulls characters from Caribbean Folklore like John Canoe and the Gaulin Wife and self-made lore about “painted ladies” and reimagines them in a graphic landscape. Neilson’s all-female characters appear to live in the ocean, as part-human part-spirit. The ocean acts as a container for their psychological landscape -- the fish and birds offer clues to external stories or spirits that inhabit this space.Williams, a florist by trade, specializing in local plants, creates arrangements that respond to Coleby and Neilsons work. William’s installations will bring the symbolism from the canvas for us to experience in real time.
These theatrical works are intended to hold the viewers’ attention so that we can examine the layers of symbols and ornate details. This reference to abundance is a contemporary trend in Caribbean artwork, a balm to the political and global feeling of scarcity and corruption.”
I Am Mine Before I Am Ever Anyone Else’s, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas | 24” x 48” | SOLD
This piece is extremely personal to me as it was my transition into a new period of self-love. Growing up I always struggled with self-esteem issues, anxiety & depression. In 2015 it hit a peak where my anxiety was so debilitating that I couldn’t leave my dorm room many days without having a panic attack and was even contemplating suicide as I felt I would never get better. Since then, I have been on a journey of healing and acceptance, and have overcome a lot that was holding me back. In 2019 I had my first solo show at Doongalik where I spoke about my struggle and referenced my boyfriend and his incredible mental strength in the form of a Nassau Grouper. At the same show I was given beautiful advice to “live my pink,’ and claim that strength in my own way. Fast forward to this work, I wanted to portray feminine strength with the coral grouper. The mangroves, as they do in all my pieces, symbolize strength & protection. The birds here are like spirits or angels that guide and protect you. This piece serves as a reminder that although you might never fully beat whatever it is you struggle with, you will get through. You will find your strength and become empowered if you don’t give up and come to understand who you are in God.
About The Work
Within the depths, along the shore and above the surface of the sea, there is healing. Long has it been the case that humans have had a primal and undefinable spiritual connection with the ocean. The animals and plants that live in and around it make it all the more beautiful and mysterious. They protect us, sustain us, teach us lessons and provide us with a greater understanding of the character of God.
With acrylic paint and a brush, I mine the waters to understand this connection for myself, specifically as a woman. My portraits of women in this environment blur the lines between the spiritual world, nature and humanity. It is my aim to give myself and other women the ability to visualize ourselves as strong insurmountable forces, and gain knowledge, peace, and healing. We can be as bold and beautiful as the creatures of the deep and the water that surrounds them.
Symbols
There are a number of repeating symbols that I continue to explore in my artistic process. The shell in all its various shapes and sizes represents divine feminine creativity sourced from God as the original Creator. However, in Abishai, My Shield it also represents protecting oneself. Mangroves represent strength, protection and steadfastness as they serve this role in nature in coastal areas. Corals are similar in that they symbolize steadfastness but continual growth as well. Herons and other birds are angels, protectors, spiritual guides, or messengers from God. Water can mean a multitude of things but in this series of paintings I chose to use it as a way of creating a timeless and almost place-less location that allows for a feeling of calm and peace.
The Blessing, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas | 24” x 36” | $2500
Let the Water Carry it, 2022
Acrylic on Canvas | 24” x 36” | $3900
“The turtle totem wisdom teaches us about walking our path in peace and sticking to it with determination and serenity. Slow moving on earth, yet also incredibly fast and agile in water, those who have the turtle as totem or spirit animal may be encouraged to take a break in their busy lives and look around or within themselves for more grounded, long-lasting solutions. Traditionally, the turtle is symbolic of the way of peace, whether it’s inviting us to cultivate peace of mind or a peaceful relationship with our environment.” (Spirit Animal)