Handful of Praises by Nathalie Watson
The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that concurrent exhibitions of photographs by Nathalie Watson (Summerville, SC) and mixed media works by Colleen Cannon-Karlos (Raleigh, NC) will be on display at Park Circle Gallery from February 4-28, 2026. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery on Friday, February 6, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
Aura of Our Ancestors: Praises of the Land – Photographs by Nathalie Watson
In her exhibit, Aura of Our Ancestors: Praises of the Land, Summerville-based photographer Nathalie Watson presents a photographic series highlighting the intimate relationship between a Gullah Geechee woman and the land. Watson blends elements of color theory, culture, and history together to illuminate the aura and traditions of the Gullah Geechee, Caribbean, and Black diaspora.
Nathalie Watson is an Afro-Latina Charleston-based environmental portrait photographer and cinematographer whose work is rooted in the belief that creating a visual language can transcend words. By framing her subjects near and in the water, in open fields, and among trees, she highlights both nature’s beauty and the brilliance it brings to Black and Brown skin. For five years, Nathalie served as Visual Production Manager at The Conqueror Movement, a South Carolina-based production agency dedicated to Black millennials. In this role, she organized events, networking mixers, collaborative workshops, and community initiatives that fostered connections among artists and creative professionals. This role also provided her the opportunity to produce and direct “Nurturing Your Light”, a documentary focused on mental health and self-care in the Black community. Through this project, Nathalie brought visibility to the importance of mental wellness and highlighted the diverse practices of self-care, as well as providing a safe space where Black artists could thrive, share their stories, and find inspiration among peers.
Currently, Nathalie serves as Creative Director for Da Gullah Geechee Influence, where her work is committed to capturing the essence of Gullah Geechee's heritage through cultural preservation, history, food traditions, wellness, and historical awareness of their legacy. She views her work as a bridge, hoping to provide viewers with authentic perspectives on the diversity within Black culture and experience. Recently, her work reached an international audience at the Monaco Art Fair, sponsored by MONAT International Art Gallery in Madrid, Spain, where she received recognition for her powerful visual storytelling. Nathalie’s artistic journey is a testament to her commitment to heritage, wellness, and community. She captures the voices, lives, and identities of her people with the dignity, respect, and authenticity they deserve. Through her work, Nathalie ensures that the legacy of her community is not only preserved but celebrated. Learn more about the artist at nathaliemarievisuals.
Mosaic2 by Colleen Cannon-Karlos
Outside the (Amazon) Box! – Mixed Media Works by Colleen Cannon-Karlos
In her exhibit, Outside the (Amazon) Box!, Raleigh, NC-based artist Colleen Cannon-Karlos presents a collection of mixed media works featuring recycled corrugated cardboard that has been deconstructed and reimagined. Each artwork incorporates a multitude of luscious textures inspired by West African culture, sweetgrass basketry, ancient geometric mosaics, and more. This work also reflects Cannon-Karlos’ interest in physics – understanding the nature of reality as energy coalesces into form. The imagery present in the distressed cardboard seems to be in the process of both emerging and dissolving into existence. The cardboard itself reveals levels of unique textures that give a relief quality and tangibility to the imagery. From trash to treasure!
Colleen Cannon-Karlos considers her work an amalgamation of many years of experimentation with different forms of media and creative expression. This, coupled with her philosophical interest in metaphysics as well as her love of physics, particularly quantum physics, provides the foundation of all her work. While in graduate school, Cannon-Karlos developed a unique imaging system using ultraviolet light to recreate processes of creation, allowing a combination of materials and mediums to differentiate themselves as the resulting design articulated itself as it dried. The imagery is referential to cosmic events, electrical storms, biological systems, and other natural phenomena. Because the artwork is made from temporary materials, the imagery is captured in digital form.
Cannon-Karlos’s fascination with physics is only matched by her interest in ancient metaphysics. She has found that both metaphysics and physics concur that reality is transient, impermanent, and illusory, based on the intimate relationship between the observer and the observed. It is this illusion and relationship that is at the threshold of her art. Whether creating large works that are backlit to mimic cosmic structures or deconstructing corrugated cardboard, her work always reflects her interest in science. As both an artist and educator, Cannon-Karlos combined art and science in her personal work and designed a unique STEAM course that she taught at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. The "Art, Science and Technology" course uses scientific principles to explore realms of creativity. Cannon-Karlos has exhibited in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New Mexico, Hawaii, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Learn more about the artist at colleencannon-karlos.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 10:30 am-5:30 pm Wednesday-Friday, and Noon-4:00 pm on Saturday. For more information about PCG, call 843-637-3565 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.