Happy Day by Christine D. Johnson
The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that concurrent exhibitions of paintings, collages, and poetry by Christine D. Johnson (Summerville, SC) and silk paintings by Shamsad Rahman (Orangeburg, SC) will be on display at Park Circle Gallery from April 2-26, 2025. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery on Friday, April 4, from 5:00-7:00pm.
Art Journey to Authenticity – Mixed Media Works and Poetry by Christine D. Johnson
Charleston-based artist and author, Christine D. Johnson, presents Art Journey to Authenticity, a captivating exhibit of mixed media paintings, collages, and poetry that explores the path to personal authenticity. This immersive experience encourages viewers to reflect on the question, "Where am I in my journey to authenticity?" Each work guides the viewer from deep introspection to a place of joy, inviting them to bring a journal and engage in thoughtful reflection on their own journey toward authenticity and inner peace.
Christine D. Johnson creates images that represent the characteristics that we strive to embody, such as authenticity, humility, patience, and resilience. Her art is also a reminder to continuously seek the strength within us and to have the courage to fulfill our divine purpose. Growing up in Jamaica, she was surrounded by people with deeply rooted internal strength and community regardless of their lack of material wealth. This is the energy that her art reflects and reminds others to harness. Johnson majored in psychology and minored in art at Shippensburg University and later received a Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations degree from St. Francis University. She started exhibiting in 1994 and continues to participate in group and solo exhibits. In addition to art, her passion for holistic health and building community led her to create the Art Journey for Inner Peace multisensory workshop that includes art, yoga, sound, and aroma to aid in the journey to inner peace. Johnson's first coffee table art book, Art Journey to Inner Peace, a collection of her paintings, poetry and photography, is currently available for order on her website. Johnson looks forward to a lifetime of bringing inspiration through the arts. Learn more about the artist at christinedjohnson.com.
Orchid Flower by Shamsad Rahman
Luminescent Thread – Silk Paintings by Shamsad Rahman
In her exhibit, Luminescent Thread, Orangeburg, SC, based artist Shamsad Rahman presents a collection of silk paintings that render the beauty of the natural world using innovative techniques. Each piece showcases Rahman's unique artistic vision, blending the tactile elegance of silk painting with the evocative power of photographic imagery. Silk painting has a long and rich history. Through this exhibition Rahman aims to share the beauty and versatility of this unique medium.
Originally from Bangladesh, Shamsad Rahman has lived and worked in Orangeburg, SC, for more than 20 years. Her background is in Architecture and Digital Art, having worked as an architect, digital designer, and webmaster. Her career, combined with her extensive travels to many continents, informs her art. It was her time living in Saudi Arabia that specifically opened her eyes to silk painting, which has become her primary form of artistic expression. Heavily inspired by nature, Shamsad takes original photographs and manipulates their composition, color, and texture digitally to create her desired abstract effect. The image is then transferred onto raw silk fabric by thermal process and then painted by hand. Her silk paintings have been displayed at events and venues throughout the Lowcountry, including Public Works Art Center, MOJA, Piccolo Spoleto, the Orangeburg Arts Center, and the Annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition and Exhibition. Learn more about the artist at shamsadart.com.
The Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston. Admission is free and free street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue in front of the gallery, as well as on the adjacent streets and in parking lots close by. Gallery hours are 10:30am-5:30pm Wednesday-Friday, and Noon-4:00pm on Saturday. For more information about PCG, call 843-637-3565 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.
