Binya | Comya

Binya | Comya, a concept-driven collection of digitally-printed, PVC-free wallcoverings by Wolf-Gordon was developed to explore issues of identity and legacy through the rich artistic traditions of the Gullah Geechee people. The exhibition is the third in a series of such explorations initiated by Marybeth Shaw, Wolf-Gordon Chief Creative Officer and Curator, that directs attention toward works of art, design and cultural heritage in their particular social context.

Named for two Gullah Geechee terms – "Binya" (native of the island) and "Comya" (one whose ancestry is not of the island) – this unique collection pays homage to the descendants of West African enslaved individuals who blended their African culture and language with the influences of the southeastern United States' Lowcountry environment.

The Binya | Comya collection aims to raise awareness of the significant contributions of the Gullah Geechee people, whose specialized knowledge and techniques in rice, cotton, and indigo cultivation, fishing, ironwork, and textile arts were essential to the development of the southeastern US coastal economy. Further, it highlights how, for over 300 years, African tradespeople and their descendants were forced to utilize their ancestral skill sets, producing items such as sweetgrass baskets for rice harvesting and cast nets for fishing.

With Binya | Comya, Wolf-Gordon translates, through photographic means, original paintings and three-dimensional objects—sweetgrass baskets, cast nets, ironwork—into two dimensional mural images and patterns for application to commercial and residential interior walls. The collection celebrates the enduring legacy of the Gullah Geechee people and their profound impact on American culture.

Binya | Comya is the result of a research project and collaboration between Marybeth Shaw and Erik Brown, Wolf-Gordon Acoustical Products Manager and Co-Curator, who has Gullah Geechee ancestry. Through their work with accomplished Gullah Geechee artists and cultural institutions, Shaw and Brown curated original works that were then photographed and manipulated by Wolf-Gordon Design Studio through techniques of mural design and pattern engineering to be realized in the medium of digitally printed wallcovering. Michael Loughlin, WG Customs Lab Director and Pattern Engineer, and Sierra Neale, WG Designer and Colorist, executed the design work.