Atlanta-based artist Charmaine Minniefield discusses her journey of self-discovery and resistance through her exploration of the Ring Shout, a traditional African American movement and worship practice. During an unexpected residency in West Africa during the pandemic, she explored what she calls, “encoded messages within her own cultural identity”—recalling ancestral memories of trade skills, customs, and cultural expressions. From these, she created a new body of work, Indigo Prayers: A Creation Story, which celebrates these traditions as evidence of her family’s origins. Minniefield returns to Atlanta to present this work as part of her Praise House Project which centers remembrance as resistance against erasure past and present.
The evening included performances by Atlanta vocalist Malesha Jessie Taylor and pianist Gary Motley.
To learn more about the Indigo Prayers: A Creation Story, visit the exhibition page HERE.
Images:
Left: Charmaine Minniefield (American), Freedom, 2020, indigo and crushed oyster on canvas, © Charmaine Minniefield, Courtesy of Charmaine Minniefield
Right: Photo credit ©JerrySiegel.com
