S culpted from thousands of pieces of wire intricately hooked and looped together,
Kristine Mays ‘ sculpture series, “
Rich Soil ,” dances against the foliage of
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden .
Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, “Rich Soil,” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, features pieces made from thousands of pieces of wire intricately hooked and looped together. Inspired by the movements of Alvin Ailey’s dance composition “Revelation,” Mays’ body of work is in homage to the ancestors both cherished and forgotten. “I don’t think you can be freer than in the in the experience of dancing. Anybody can get up and dance and move their body, and there’s a release where you’re just giving into a certain sort of joy,” Mays said. “My thought was that the ancestors are rising up from the soil that they’ve toiled over. And the blood, sweat and tears have been poured into the ground, and their spirits are now rising up and they’re released from all of that, which is where the dance part comes into play.”
People are also reading…
Open now through March 9, “Rich Soil,” is made up of 29 life-size sculptures displayed in seven groupings located throughout Lewis Ginter.
“Rich Soil” is inspired by the movements of Alvin Ailey’s dance compositions. Each figure embodies a momentary gesture or expression that conveys a message of resilience, inviting us to reconsider our perspectives on ourselves and those around us. In a discussion between Mays and Saajida Chohan, director of education and visitor experience at
The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia , Mays revealed insights to her creative process, how she discovered the medium of wire sculpting, and the muses behind her designs.
Artist Kristine Mays, creator of new exhibit “Rich Soil” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, says her creations are an homage to ancestors both cherished and forgotten. “I tend to work off a photograph,” said Mays. “Once I figure out what it is that I’m attempting to make I’ll collect a series of photos and study them to see where the folds are. When I’m looking at someone, I look at the rouging of their arm, or how their shirt lays over their shoulders. I study photos and essentially, it comes out in my brain as puzzle pieces.” Mays who has severe rheumatoid arthritis, said that each sculpture takes around a month to make, averaging about six hours a day. Currently based in San Francisco, Mays said she lives with her mom and sister, who help to take care of her while she focuses on creating. “My mom basically just took care of me during that time. She did my laundry, she cooked, she would just come and check on me and be like, ‘Have you eaten today? Here’s a plate of food. Did you go to sleep?’ Or, if she saw I was overworked, she’d say, ‘I think you should lay down now.’ Because it (‘Rich Soil’) just consumed me,” she said.
The 29 sculptures in “Rich Soil,” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, each took about a month to finish. The exhibit has traveled across the United States including Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., and California’s Filoli Historic House & Garden. “I’ve watched the work travel and it’s changed context every time it stops somewhere,” said Mays. In Richmond, the context is amplified against the region’s history. “I feel humbled to be the messenger and at times it can be intimidating to be the messenger, but in general, it’s very exciting, and it’s very sacred to see what’s revealed as the work travels,” said Mays.
The 29 sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, “Rich Soil,” are displayed in seven groupings at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “I think it’s important to have this kind of exhibition here, especially in Richmond, Virginia, as the former capital of Confederacy, just because we hold such a significant historical weight when it comes to the legacy of slavery, and the fight for Black liberation,” added Chohan. The sculptures are spread throughout the Garden in groups bearing names such as “All Night Worship Service,” “Soon and Very Soon,” “Conjuring” and “Ancestral Spin.” “Some of them are based on old spirituals. Some of them are just centered around thoughts that I’ve had and journaled about. So that’s sort of where I’m really, actually giving you a part of myself in that regard,” said Mays. “My hope is that you will lend yourselves to it. The other hope that I have, like in my dream, of all dreams, is just that it would stay with you and that you would allow yourself to to really ponder what you’re taking in beyond being here on these grounds.”
Kristine Mays’ exhibit, “Rich Soil,” has previously been shown at venues such as Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., and California’s Filoli Historic House & Garden. 'Rich Soil,' exhibit at Lewis Ginter
Artist Kristine Mays poses for a portrait at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden where her new exhibit, Rich Soil, is installed, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Artist Kristine Mays poses for a portrait at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden where her new exhibit, Rich Soil, is installed, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, “Rich Soil,” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, features pieces made from thousands of pieces of wire intricately hooked and looped together. The 29 sculptures in “Rich Soil,” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, each took about a month to finish. “Rich Soil” is inspired by the movements of Alvin Ailey’s dance compositions. Artist Kristine Mays, creator of new exhibit “Rich Soil” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, says her creations are an homage to ancestors both cherished and forgotten. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. The 29 sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, “Rich Soil,” are displayed in seven groupings at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Sculptures from Kristine Mays’ new exhibit, Rich Soil, are installed at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Kristine Mays’ exhibit, “Rich Soil,” has previously been shown at venues such as Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., and California’s Filoli Historic House & Garden.
