Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green

Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green
June 19, 2026 – January 24, 2027

In Rooted in Memory: The Gullah Geechee Vision of Jonathan Green at Cameron Art Museum, Jonathan Green’s vibrant paintings serve as both a celebration of culture and a poignant meditation on history and community. Green, a native of Gardens Corner, South Carolina, draws deeply from his Gullah Geechee heritage to create works that evoke the lived experience of his forebears.

The exhibition brings together a selection of Green’s paintings in conversation with traditional Gullah Geechee crafts, including sweetgrass baskets, quilts, and Adinkra printed cloth. Green’s paintings are a fusion of contemporary style and cultural history, and often feature dynamically colored cloth and beautifully designed craft objects. They are complemented by examples of Gullah Geechee basketry, a craft born out of necessity on coastal plantations and passed down through the generations, the vibrant quilting tradition, and the West African Adinkra symbols that link Gullah Geechee expression to deep ancestral knowledge.

Jonathan Green’s signature style and imagery emphasize work, love, belonging, and spirituality. His compositions often depict community rituals and familial scenes, everyday scenes rendered with dignity and grace. Green trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; his work blends contemporary style with images and symbols drawn from his southern heritage. This exhibition highlights the museum’s commitment to the presentation and preservation of contemporary art of the Southeast.

Stretching from North Carolina to Florida, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor is a federally designated National Heritage Area. The corridor was established to preserve and promote traditional crafts, language, and the history of the Gullah Geechee people. Green’s work is a vibrant reflection of this culture, both documenting it and encouraging its conservation.

In keeping with the museum’s ongoing tradition of showcasing regional contemporary art from the collections of its members, this exhibition features works loaned by several members of a single family, who prefer to remain anonymous. The works on view provide a rare opportunity to see how collecting the work of a major regional artist enhances the lives of multiple generations. The act of sharing this work with the museum community ensures that Green’s paintings will inspire a new audience. Rooted in Memory opens the door to deeper understanding—not just of a culture, but of the human stories that continue to shape it. With rich connections to African heritage and craft traditions, the paintings provide a unique way to experience Gullah Geechee culture, which continues to thrive today.

Images: Jonathan Green
(American, b. 1955)
Time to Rejoice, 2005
Oil on canvas
On loan from an anonymous collector

Mary Jackson
(American, b 1945)
Cobra Basket with Handle, c. 1980
Sweetgrass, bulrush, palmetto, and pine needles
Museum purchase with funds donated by Mr. Robert Marks 1984.026
Collection of the Gibbes Museum, Charleston, SC