SAUNDRA “RENEE” SMITH

The bright hues born from a culture tempered in isolation is what makes my  authentic work a special tribute to the Gullah people who hold a place wholly unique in American history. Located in the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor of the southeastern coast of the United States, the Gullah people have lived and thrived and are believed to be the descendants of the Guale Indians who inhabited these sea islands. I aspire to capture the historical prospective and daily lifestyle of the Gullah people through visual art. Basket weaving, colorful dresses, and brightly colored head rags and hats to cover unique nappy hair is what inspires me to paint. Being a neighbor of the famous folk artist Sam Doyle was also inspirational growing up, however my work is spiritual and transforming as it strives to tell a visual story. My art captures ladies with hats pulled low to cover secrets carried softly on the waters which run so deeply through the veins of the Gullah culture. Follow me for a visual journey of life in it's most natural and innocent state, untouched and in full color, the authentic look "pon we islund" with Gullah Art By Renee. 

When it comes to her Gullah-inspired paintings, Outsider Folk Artist Saundra “Renee” Smith is actually anything but. It’s her insider’s perspective, her deep and rich Gullah family legacy, gleaned from a lifetime of living on St. Helena’s Island that has earned this artist a place among America’s great outsider folk artists, according to the National Advisory Board for the Folk Society of America.  (August 2018 Pink Magazine) 

 My medium is acrylic on canvas, board, old tin, or glass window panes! Each piece strives to captures the natural beauty of the salt marshes, tidal creeks, and palmetto trees in elegant, vivid colors. A peek through the eyes of simplicity and innocence shows a unique culture and lifestyle. Distinctive to each piece is the water and palm trees, whose spirit sustains our blue roots throughout each generation.