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Safe Passage in Conversation with Her Flowers: Disruption of Old Narratives: Heather Williams
January 21, 2025 - May 9, 2025
Karl and Helen Burger Gallery
About the Exhibition
In her solo exhibition Safe Passage in Conversation with Her Flowers, Williams invites viewers into a profound exploration of legacy, strength, and maternal love. With grace and insight, she tackles complex themes such as protection, beauty, connection, and the journey of motherhood—particularly the role of a mother who carries her own wisdom and spirituality through life's challenges.
At the heart of the exhibition is a mother's fierce desire to protect her son, prompting Williams to ask, "Is there safe passage in this world for the Black body? How do I safeguard my son as he steps into a world that may not always see him as whole?" These questions serve as a gateway into a deeper reflection on the protective instincts and powerful love a mother embodies, a love that transcends fear and uncertainty.
Williams then expands the dialogue, weaving a narrative of reverence for her own mother—an embodiment of strength, resilience, and spiritual depth. The exhibition redefines her mother’s legacy, highlighting her wisdom and the beauty of her life force, while gently challenging any past misinterpretations. Through this process, Williams reclaims and elevates her mother's story, offering a new perspective that honors her strength and spiritual presence rather than focusing on the struggles she faced.
The exhibition unfolds through a compelling mix of video imagery, music, and sculptures—most notably, pieces that evoke the spirit of her mother through shoes. These symbolic representations serve as a tactile connection to the past, bringing viewers into a moment of reflection, while the artist methodically unravels fabric, each thread representing a piece of history, love, and loss.
With Safe Passage in Conversation with Her Flowers, Williams creates a space for grace, reflection, and quiet strength. She invites her audience to confront their own vulnerabilities, recognize the shared humanity in all of us, and acknowledge the quiet resilience that sustains us in the face of hardship. Through her mother’s example, Williams offers not just a conversation, but a moment of collective healing, grounded in love, spiritual depth, and the unbreakable bond of family.
Selected Works
Artist Statement
A love letter to the quiet and intrinsically powerful Black woman is the way that I describe my art practice. Often late at night, when my part of the world is silent, I am always crafting this love letter. But this letter is not in writing. It is in my paint brush, the clay, my camera, the process happening with music in the backdrop. As a multidisciplinary artist, I use abstract paintings, sculpture and film to explore complexities and dualities that exist within our world. My works are multilayered, textured and filled with movement, creating a visual representation of the various layers of meaning that exist within our experiences.
Rooted in my Caribbean and African heritage, spirituality and identity, my paintings explore the concept of damage and repair. This exploration began on a personal level, but has since evolved into an examination of the fragmented histories that make up the legacy of The Middle Passage. Through my paintings, I strive to bring attention to the enduring impact of this history on the present. I draw influences from artists such as Caravaggio and his dramatic use of light, Amy Sherald's use of saturated color, Mark Bradford’s torn surfaces and Norman Lewis' texture and compositions.
My Witness sculptures serve as observers of time, and are my connection to the long and proud African ancestral lineage that has been hidden. These sculptures bear witness to the struggles and triumphs of the past, and serve as a powerful symbol of resilience and strength.
My ongoing film project, "Safe Passage," features my son over time and offers a first-person view on my contemplation of how to protect him. It asks the question: Is there a safe passage for the Black body? This project was initiated during the height of the pandemic shutdown and Black Lives Matter Movement protests in 2020. As we look back over three years later, where are we?
Through my art, I seek to bring attention to the experiences of those who have been marginalized and oppressed throughout history. I strive to create a space for reflection and contemplation, where viewers can engage with complex themes and ideas. Ultimately, I believe that art has the power to heal, to inspire, and to create meaningful change in our world.