‘In an exhibition of works by the South African-born artist Lisa Brice, a new cohort of women have taken up residence at Charleston. Like Woolf and Bell, they seem intent on carving out a space of their own. Through plumes of smoke, the women appear chiefly as artists in the studio—taking up position in front of the easel, selecting a canvas, and raising a brush to its surface. Often nude, the women are their own models. They gaze intently at the reflections of their lithe bodies as they simultaneously use mirrors to disguise them. They are bold and nonchalant, swigging from beer bottles and puffing on cigarettes. Each is painted in shades of blue that render them curiously anonymous. And yet, their mission is clear. We feel as if we might have stumbled into the world of Charleston quite uninvited.’
