Acknowledgement (2012): Honoring the Past to Shape the Future

About the art

Acknowledgement, 2012, Danisha Edwards

Acknowledgement was created as a tribute — a quiet yet powerful reminder of the importance of knowing where we come from. Too often, we move through life without pausing to honor the ones who came before us. Our ancestors, with their sacrifices, wisdom, and struggles, shaped the very ground we stand on. Acknowledgement invites viewers to reflect on this truth.

The painted panels depict a familiar, sacred place: the riverbank in Madison, Florida, where my father’s side of the family fished, hunted, and gathered. This land holds memories of roots, resilience, and heritage — a connection to generations who lived in harmony with this natural world. The fallen tree across the water serves as both a bridge and a barrier, symbolizing the passage of time and the threads that bind us to our past.

In front of the painted landscape stands a welded metal pencil rod sculpture — a figure I call Ancestor. And yet, at first glance, many pass by without seeing it. Like our own histories, the form is easy to miss unless we pause, look back, and truly acknowledge what — and who — is there. To see the Ancestor requires intention. It asks the viewer to stop, seek, and engage — just as we must do in life if we wish to understand our past and, in turn, shape our future.

Glass shards, beads, seashells, and cast metals scatter beneath the structure, catching the light like fragments of memory. These elements honor the fragility and strength of what endures across time.