SUMMER RESIDENCY SHOWCASE 2024

Sam Digges Hunter is a video installation artist whose work explores and exposes cultural narratives that shape our collective understanding of how we operate in the world.

Their current work focuses on kudzu, the invasive vine introduced to the United States from East Asia over a century ago to combat erosion caused by deforestation. Despite its historical significance in human-nature stewardship, kudzu is now largely disregarded or viewed as a nuisance as it spreads across the South. Ivory displays the Japanese tradition of crafting kudzu fiber, where the vine’s new growth is harvested, soaked, and rinsed to expose its bast layer, used for weaving.

The video installation, The Inherit, shows kudzu following the footsteps of a ghost draped in chainmail haunting the landscape. As the overgrowth of vines becomes overwhelming, a group harvests it while the ghost’s narrative begins to disintegrate.