Faculty Profile

Charnelle Holloway has gained recognition in local, regional and national competitions/exhibitions. She was included in the ground-breaking exhibition "Uncommon Beauty in Common Objects; The Legacy of African-American Craft Art," and her work also traveled with the exhibition "Bearing Witness: Contemporary Works by African-American Women Artists."

Holloway's work has been exhibited in such venues as Mingei Museum, the Renwick Gallery and the The American Craft Museum. In addition, by invitation, she has been included in the African-American archives of the Smithsonian's National Design Museum. Charnelle is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, The American Craft Council, and the Organization of Black Designers.

Presently an associate professor of art at Spelman College, she is involved with many aspects of two- and three-dimensional design, computer-aided design, and a variety of interdisciplinary plans for the future.

"My training as an artist of functional objets d'art has lead me to a place that merges the functionality of a familiar object with the ritual purpose of the object; the inherent spirituality that exists in the time-consuming techniques used in the creation of that object; and the spiritual energy left by the person or persons that have actually touched or used the object," she says.

"In using certain combinations of hand-constructed and tooled metals, woods and special, found objects, I strive to create moods and 'auras' that will speak intimately to the viewer in expressing the spiritual feeling or specific message of the work. Where my earlier work may have dealt with pure design aesthetics that were influenced by the art deco/Bauhaus school of thought, most of my current work combines more personal views and aesthetics with symbolism of an ethnic nature. The intent of my work may also be to put forth a different point of view in dealing with certain issues -- to question or challenge accepted or 'hopeless' points of view that I feel may be detrimental to the soul. In doing so, I hope to encourage new ways of thinking as I disclose my beliefs about relationships, spirituality and the Black family."