Christian Dennis
Artist Statement
As someone born and raised in Appalachia, my regional identity has been very dear to me while studying at Berea College. I have always been proud of who I am and where I come from, but it was not until I came here that a fire was lit under my regional pride. However, though I learned more about my people and the wonderful complexities in them, I still felt out of place at Berea, missing the feeling of being myself while at my actual home. In the process of reflecting on what it is about Appalachia that means the most to me, I took multiple walks down the trails of Berea’s Brushy Fork woods to immerse myself in a comforting landscape.
These paintings and this drawing of Brushy Fork and Lee City, Kentucky, are representations of how a sense of place can create personal connections between seemingly unrelated locations. While reflecting on my true home in Lee City and my temporary one at Berea, I came across similarities in the environment and in how I was responding to my surroundings. Through this, I realized I feel most at home and at peace surrounded by nature in a forest. The wise old trees interlace their branches like hands clasped in solidarity, and the thick patches of pine cast mysterious and looming shadows. At both locations, I can lose all significance of self and become an observant part of a larger living being; this feeling resonates within me on a spiritual level. My art is not majestic like the 19th-century landscapes of the American West, but from these Appalachian woods, I can show a more personal and reflective experience.