Pass It Down

$135.00

Pass It Down honors the ancestral lineage of Lowcountry sweetgrass basket weaving, a practice that traces directly back to West Africa. During slavery, different West African tribes were brought to the South Carolina coast to labor on plantations, where their knowledge of basket weaving—originally used in agricultural production—became a tool of survival and cultural persistence. In modern times, sweetgrass baskets have transformed into celebrated cultural artifacts, recognised for their artistry and creativity.

This portrait depicts three connected moments across time: a West African ancestor represented through traditional sculpture, holding a vessel; an enslaved ancestor practicing the same weaving; and a contemporary basket weaver continuing the craft today. The West African figure stands as an onlooking ancestor, witnessing the unbroken circle of her descendants across centuries.

This ballpoint pen composition celebrates the profound resilience of Gullah Geechee culture—a practice that has survived slavery, time, and erasure, remaining vibrantly alive in the hands of those who refuse to let their heritage be broken.


Print Size: 18in.× 24in.

Pass It Down honors the ancestral lineage of Lowcountry sweetgrass basket weaving, a practice that traces directly back to West Africa. During slavery, different West African tribes were brought to the South Carolina coast to labor on plantations, where their knowledge of basket weaving—originally used in agricultural production—became a tool of survival and cultural persistence. In modern times, sweetgrass baskets have transformed into celebrated cultural artifacts, recognised for their artistry and creativity.

This portrait depicts three connected moments across time: a West African ancestor represented through traditional sculpture, holding a vessel; an enslaved ancestor practicing the same weaving; and a contemporary basket weaver continuing the craft today. The West African figure stands as an onlooking ancestor, witnessing the unbroken circle of her descendants across centuries.

This ballpoint pen composition celebrates the profound resilience of Gullah Geechee culture—a practice that has survived slavery, time, and erasure, remaining vibrantly alive in the hands of those who refuse to let their heritage be broken.


Print Size: 18in.× 24in.