An impassioned artist can bring light and grace even to the most haunted places, as André Henderson proves in his brutal, yet captivating series of paintings, “The Journey“. The works, a collaboration with wood sculptor Doug Pisik, tell the story of the unthinkable multitudes of enslaved Africans who lost their lives in the various crossings of slave ships, over hundreds of years and thousands of miles at sea. A project ten years in the works, Henderson came to the concept after a period of creative blockage, when he felt a sudden calling to honor African ancestors through artwork. The works will be on view at P2 Gallery in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood of Atlanta from late July through August. Henderson and Pisik joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes to talk about “The Journey” and the horrific history that made this creative act of healing and remembrance a necessity.
The sense of calling that sparked “The Journey” came to Henderson while working at Serenbe, a community where many artists find creative residencies, south of Atlanta. “I was painting and painting, and I felt like I was… really just literally pushing paint around the canvas, and it was really frustrating,” Henderson recalled. “And I heard a voice say, ‘Paint something for us… We’re the ones who’ve come before you, and we’re the reason why you’re here.’ And from that moment on, I thought, ‘Those are my ancestors.’ And for the past ten years, I’ve been painting with their guidance and inspiration.”
In the paintings that resulted, semi-translucent figures often float in a blue expanse. The artist described how he felt he was “painting the spirit,” rather than the individual, representing the bodies of the enslaved that fell off ships to their demise. “There’s been no record of how many, or who they were — men, women and children,” Henderson said. “It was just honoring all of them.”
When Henderson decided to bring in the talents of wood sculptor Doug Pisik, the result was a balancing effect — with Pisik’s rough-edged and confrontational compositions of wood, rope and metal forming the frames for Henderson’s visually serene canvases. Pisik talked about recognizing the importance of the project, citing his own heritage.
“The reason I bring up that I’m Jewish is because that played a very important part for why I wanted to work with André as well,” Pisik said. “Just about everybody, if not everybody, is aware of the Holocaust and the six million Jews lost… When André came to me about this project and said it was about the millions and millions of humans that lost their lives in transport, I didn’t know about the numbers.” He continued, “I felt ignorant and upset that I didn’t know the story. And I thought, why does everyone know one story, but they don’t know about this other one that took place over hundreds, hundreds of years? …This story has to be told.”
