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Current Exhibits

Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

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Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

Aug 1st - 23rd

Reception August 1st 5:30 pm - 8: pm

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artist statement

This body of work offers a reimagined perspective on Lowcountry rural women and children. Celebrating their resilience, brilliance, and central role in sustaining agricultural life. As Black men increasingly gained access to factory and seaport jobs after the end of Jim Crow, women became the primary stewards of the farms. Their labor—often unseen—was vital, rhythmic, and powerful. This work honors both the chaos and coordination of their efforts, highlighting a workforce rooted in strength, creativity, and endurance.

Exhibition Title: Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers

Mortar and Pestle: Rhythm Makers draws its name from the essential tools used to process Carolina Gold rice in the Lowcountry—labor first performed by enslaved Africans and later sustained by Gullah communities. These tools symbolize endurance, movement, and rhythm, capturing the dynamic energy of rural farm life and the constant motion of its workers.

 

Through a series of vibrant, figurative pastel works, this exhibition conveys the pulsing rhythms of the rice fields—the steady pace of labor, the songs sung while working, and the ever-changing Lowcountry landscape. Bold colors, layered textures, and expressive mark-making evoke both physical strength and communal harmony, translating movement into visual rhythm.

 

The paintings pay homage to my grandparents, who, I was told, grew a small patch of rice. From this history, I imagine scenes of my father, his sister, and their parents at work—reconstructing memory through gesture, color, and form. These imagined narratives serve as a bridge between personal history and collective cultural memory.

NIDUM Gallery
2154 Noisette Blvd Suite 140, , North Charleston, South Carolina 29405

​Nidum (pronounced “Need-um”) is a local art gallery and private tattoo studio that recently opened in the Storehouse 9 building in the Navy Yard near Park Circle. Founded in September 2024 by husband-and-wife duo (and North Charleston residents) Bradley and Betsy Butler, along with partner Dave Riley, the space is split into two — literally and figuratively. Walk in and veer right, there’s the art gallery, which specializes in work from area artists. Go left and you’ll find the body art salon.

Nidum offers an experience that feels separate from and different than either of its halves would suggest — its vibe matches neither that of a traditional gallery nor tattoo shop. And yet, it makes complete sense the moment you walk in the door. According to Betsy Butler, this is intentional and a natural reflection of the symbiosis between the two artistic realms.

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