Augusta artist uses brightly colored rice in mosaics

By Lia Barnes | Staff writer

To end Black History Month, Reese Library hosted a Gullah Geechee art workshop on Feb. 25 with the help and instruction of Augusta artist A.C. Daniel.

The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of West and Central African enslaved people who grew rice, cotton and indigo on isolated coastal plantations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Because of their isolation, they were able to retain much of their culture and traditions.

According to the Yale MacMillan Center, the Gullah Geechee descend from the people of the “Rice Coast,” who were valued for their rice growing skills, making rice a staple food in Gullah Geechee culture.

At the Reese Library on the Summerville Campus, Daniel showed this side of Gullah Geechee culture by teaching Augusta University students how to make rice mosaics. With brightly colored rice, students were able to make mosaics that resembled the bright and lively traditions of the Gullah Geechee and the bright beaches they are from.

One tradition that was highlighted during Daniel’s presentation was the use of the blue glass bottles. These bottles would be hung in trees to catch the spirits in the wind. The Gullah Geechee are also known for intricate weaving techniques. Incorporating these cultural elements in the rice mosaics made it an event full of remembering a culture that was on the brink of being forgotten.

Although not being of Gullah Geechee descent himself, Daniel said he enjoyed being able to study a different kind of Black culture and different types of art during Black history month. As an art teacher, he said artists should take the opportunity to teach because it helps you deconstruct the medium, historical background and techniques, making you learn more. Watching someone else’s artistic process not only takes you out of the art, but it can also help you learn more and master your craft.

Note: At the top of the page, here are two Gullah Geechee art prints, “Generations” (left) and “Conjure Woman” (right) by Synthia Saint James. (photo by Lia Barnes/Bell Ringer)

Contact Lia Barnes at liabarnes@augusta.edu.

Here are examples of Gullah Geechee-inspired student rice mosaics at Reese Library on the Summerville Campus of Augusta University. (photo by Lia Barnes/Bell Ringer)