Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe in conversation with Emory Shaw Campbell
Wed, Feb 26, 2025
6:30 pm
A Man Standing in Front of Union Baptist Church, Daufuskie Island, SC
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The Susan and John Hess Family Theater is equipped with an induction loop and infrared assistive listening system. Accessible seating is available.
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Floor 3, Theater and Online, via Zoom
On the occasion of the exhibition Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Last Gullah Islands, the artist is joined by Emory Shaw Campbell—a renowned Gullah scholar and lifelong Hilton Head Island resident—to discuss the intertwined histories of the Gullah Islands, the African diaspora, and her photographic practice.
Since the 1970s, Moutoussamy-Ashe has made photographs that celebrate the beauty and complexity of Black life, honoring the rhythms of everyday experiences and marking significant rites of passage for the Gullah Geechee people. Her work on Daufuskie Island, begun in 1977 with guidance from Shaw Campbell, highlights her dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of the Sea Islands. The Gullah culture, rooted in the experiences of formerly enslaved African Americans, has thrived in relative isolation on the East Coast Sea Islands, including Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where descendants continue to uphold its language, customs, arts, and cuisine.
In this conversation, they explore the lives of Daufuskie’s residents, the artist’s personal perspective and creative process, and the ongoing efforts to preserve and celebrate this vibrant cultural heritage.
This conversation is moderated by Deborah Willis.
Emory Shaw Campbell is the President of the Gullah Heritage Consulting Service. He manages the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours and offers lectures and courses related to Gullah Geechee culture. He resides on Hilton Head Island in the neighborhood of his birth.
Deborah Willis is University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and has affiliated appointments with the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social & Cultural Analysis, and the Institute of Fine Arts where she teaches courses on photography and imaging, iconicity, and cultural histories visualizing the Black body, women, and gender. She is also the director of NYU’s Center for Black Visual Culture at the Institute for African American Affairs. Her research examines photography’s multifaceted histories, visual culture, contemporary women photographers, and beauty.
