Gretchen Beck
Gan nda Donie Koy

The Guild Room

March 3, 2023 to April 15, 2023

For the past thirty years, Gretchen Beck has been rendering imagery that reflects the vibrancy of Nigerien culture. She lived in Niger, West Africa for three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer and has returned to study the abstract aesthetic within Djarma and Fulani art forms. In these paintings, the colors, lines, and values mirror the rhythms, textures, and movement of daily life in Southwestern Niger. Dance and song are suggested as whimsical lines glide across grid-like swatches of bold colors. The title of the exhibition, Gan nda Donie Koy, translates in the Djarma language to “Leader of Dance and Song.” The videos included in this exhibition also reflect its title. In rhythmic ways, the Fulani women decorate their homesteads with identity disks. The hand-woven art forms symbolize the diverse members of Fulani communities and epitomize the region’s abstract aesthetic. Overall, Gan nda Donie Koy pays tribute to the exuberant and hard-working daily life of Fulani women. Proceeds from this exhibition will directly benefit the Fulani people in Niger, West Africa.