February 2024 Featured Artist
Artist's Spirited Works Celebrate Gullah Culture and Traditions
An Interview with
Lisa Rivers
Lisa Rivers
Photo Courtesy: Lisa Rivers |
Lisa Gilyard-Rivers is a New York native-born, South Carolina-based artist whose work is influenced by the African Folk style of painting known as Gullah art. Recognized for its vibrancy and distinctive colors, Gullah art explores the culture and life of the people living in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida's Lowcountry, a region located along the southern coast that is deeply rooted in Black history. After raising her four children and imbuing them with a love for these traditions, she has created a successful career – opening the Legacy Art Gallery in Beaufort, South Carolina, becoming the first African American woman to own and operate an art gallery on the popular Bay Street.
Her art has been featured in prestigious publications, such as Vogue and AAA Magazine, and has been exhibited in many galleries and restaurants. Her work is also included in private collections throughout the U.S. "Beaufort-based artist Lisa Rivers depicts Gullah culture throughout her artwork. She uses oils, multimedia elements and vibrant colors that leap off each of her canvases. When art enthusiasts gaze upon her work, they are struck with emotions of love and pain and stories of yesterday and today." ~ 2021 Crafted in the Lowcountry Awards/Hargray, Grand Prize Winner |
Sandra Bertrand, Sanctuary’s Travel and Culture editor, presented several questions to Lisa about her artistic journey, the challenges she has faced as a gallery owner, and how her work has been influenced by Gullah culture and traditions.
I’d like to start by getting back to your personal roots. I believe you started life in New York City, a very different place in geography and temperament from Beaufort, South Carolina. Please share what your early years were like as a Northerner?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. My early life stood in stark contrast to the serene and culturally rich environment of Beaufort. Brooklyn was a place with graffiti art on buildings, with subway trains and walls marked by great artists, and a fast pace! However, my family's roots were firmly planted in the South, and our periodic visits to my parents' hometown offered me glimpses of a different world – a world that was peaceful, friendly, and unhurried. It was a world where I could feed pigs and chickens, pick pecans from trees, race cousins down dirt roads, and be enchanted by sunflowers and corn fields that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.
I’d like to start by getting back to your personal roots. I believe you started life in New York City, a very different place in geography and temperament from Beaufort, South Carolina. Please share what your early years were like as a Northerner?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. My early life stood in stark contrast to the serene and culturally rich environment of Beaufort. Brooklyn was a place with graffiti art on buildings, with subway trains and walls marked by great artists, and a fast pace! However, my family's roots were firmly planted in the South, and our periodic visits to my parents' hometown offered me glimpses of a different world – a world that was peaceful, friendly, and unhurried. It was a world where I could feed pigs and chickens, pick pecans from trees, race cousins down dirt roads, and be enchanted by sunflowers and corn fields that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.
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What are some of the differences you have seen and felt moving from one sociocultural life to another?
When I made the move to Hilton Head in 1997, it was a significant cultural shift. I was met with a community where many Black families had departed, resulting in a unique and diversified blend of cultures. The transition was challenging for me, and I often found myself rebelling against the slower pace of life, frequently shuttling back and forth between Hilton Head and New York. What effect, if any, has that had on raising your own children, the challenges they faced experiencing both worlds? While raising my children in this diverse cultural environment, I wanted them to know the importance of understanding that ‘home is where the heart is.’ They attended both schools in the city and South Carolina grade schools, equipping them with the ability to navigate different environments with street smarts and respect. |
Women in the Rice Field
Acrylic ~ 24 x 36 inches © Lisa Rivers |
Juke Joint - Mama Nick Sings
Oil ~ 60 x 48 inches © Lisa Rivers |
How did your artistic journey begin?
My artistic career, which commenced at the age of 52, began with a heartfelt gesture on Christmas day when I created special pieces of art for each of my four children. This pivotal moment marked the inception of my artistic odyssey. In your artwork, you have embraced the Gullah tradition, an elemental part of Southern Black history. My work has always been influenced by the Gullah tradition.* This tradition encompasses customs, beliefs, and practices passed down through generations of Sea Island families. It includes crafts like sweetgrass basket making, quilting, and knitting fishing nets, as well as the transmission of folklore, stories, and songs. *Gullah is a way of life originating from the introduction of the vibrant West African culture into the nuances of southern plantation life. This intermingling produced a rich diversity of language, food, art and music with its epicenter being Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands of South Carolina. Enslaved Africans and those Gullah who lived in the period of isolation that followed Emancipation, made a wide assortment of artifacts bearing great similarity to West African art. Gullah women sew quilts organized in strips like African country cloth and keep the tradition of the sweetgrass basket alive today, especially in the Mount Pleasant community just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Gullah painting is traditionally very vibrant and colorful with subjects centered around community life. ~ The Freeman Institute |
Friendship Footprints on the Beach
Acrylic ~ 26 x 34 inches © Lisa Rivers |
Having raised your family, you decided to open the Legacy Art Gallery. Can you describe some of the challenges as a woman establishing a business in the community and keeping it thriving?
In addition to my artistic pursuits, I established the Legacy Gallery – an exceptional achievement as the first Black-owned art gallery on Bay Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. Though I faced numerous challenges, including becoming a full-time caregiver for my ailing father, I successfully managed my gallery. The gallery is where I display my pieces in acrylic, oil and mixed media work. Gullah art is a unique artistic style focused on the experience of remembering the past and narrating stories. I closely follow this tradition as my paintings are void of any distinguishing facial features and narrate the stories of yesterday and today. |
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How have you impacted Beaufort and the surrounding communities with your artworks?
Through my artwork, I have been able to educate visitors and actively participate in community events. I like to think I have left an indelible mark on Beaufort and the surrounding communities with vibrant and narrative-rich artwork. I continue the Gullah tradition while also exploring other themes in my art, such as feminism, juke joints, fishermen, and seafood. Feminism is a big word, embracing women in all walks of life. Do you consider yourself a feminist? When the topic of feminism arises, I proudly identify as a feminist. I have developed a copyrighted collection titled "Level-minded" in a surrealism art style which explores the strength of women and the importance of achieving balance through meditation. And lastly, where do you find sanctuary? For me, the act of creating art is a sanctuary, where I can immerse myself in my thoughts, allowing me to express myself with profound focus and intensity. |
Women of Black History (Level-minded Series)
Mixed Media ~ 20 x 16 inches © Lisa Rivers |
