Colin Quashie is an artist of this time. The controversy that surrounded the Battle Flag of the Confederacy which flew defiantly above South Carolina’s State Capitol building engenders precisely the form of polemic exchange in which he feels most at ease. Quashie’s wry, ironic, and irreverent art works are especially timely, forcing his audience to consider difficult cultural problems which they may often prefer to avoid. In this Post-modern era, Quashie’s highly political art may be categorized as “conceptual” and “journalistic”. Artistically, and aesthetically, much of his work is closely allied to the ideals of the Pop-Art Movement of the 1960s & 70s. However, the subject matter he presents is radically different from the topics explored in the earlier Pop-Art genre.

Quashie was born in London, England and raised in the West Indies. At age six, his parents emigrated to the States and settled in Daytona Beach. The artist briefly attended the University of Florida on a full academic scholarship, but felt ill at ease in academia and left, eventually joining the Navy as a submarine sonarman. It was there that his lifelong love for art re-emerged. After his discharge in 1987, he made the decision to pursue an art career.

Showing steady growth, his art career ended abruptly in 1995 after an exhibition was censored. Frustrated with the art world, he abandoned art, moved West and landed a job as a comedy sketch writer on Mad-Tv. His love for art re-emerged two years later and since then, in between writing gigs (he has written for five other comedy series and in 2001 received an Emmy award for documentary writing), he continues to produce his unique brand of art.

He lives in Charleston, South Carolina where he paints while continuing to write.

photo courtesy of Charleston City Paper

Justin Nathanson is an American Independent Filmmaker living and working in the low country. After winning best student filmmaker 3 years in a row, Justin completed his directorial feature film debut at 19 years old, while still at New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts.

For the past 15 years, Justin has produced, directed or edited 5 critically acclaimed feature films, more than 10 television shows, many award winning short films, and countless nationally broadcast commercials and industrials.

Justin is Executive Director of ChasDOC, a non-profit organization he founded to create documentary films based on local stories. “Bin Yah: There’s No Place Like Home” is the first feature-length project of ChasDOC, premiering on PBS in June of 2007.

In addition to ChasDOC and running The Cut Company, a full service film & TV production company, Justin and partners are launching a new multi-media commercial advertising company early 2009.

Nico Romo, a Lyon, France native, joined Patrick Properties in August 2007 as Executive Chef for Fish Restaurant, Lowndes Grove, The William Aiken House and The American Theater. Today, Fish’s focus is French-Asian. Romo infuses his native French techniques and sensibilities with simple, authentic Asian flavors. Local fish, shrimp, beef, chicken and vegetables are showcased on the menu nightly, and the results are unabashedly delicious.
 

A 15-year old graduate of The Helene Boucher Culinary Art School in Venissieux, France, Romo honed his skills at two Relais & Chateaux properties: La Pyramide Hotel and Restaurant in Vienne, France, under Master Chef M. Henrioux, and at Restaurant Pierre Orsi in Lyon, France, under Master Chef M. Pierre Orsi. He has held positions at Chez Philippe in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee and Cielo, also in Memphis. Nico was then recruited by The Ritz Carlton, Atlanta where he served as Sous Chef and later became Executive Chef at The Café at East Andrews in Buckhead. Prior to joining Fish, Romo opened the third location of the B.E.D. restaurant concepts in Atlanta.

In his spare time, he is goalie for a local arena soccer team. His favorite team is Olympique Lyonnais.

Marcus Amaker is a performance poet, musician, and graphic designer. He is the editor of Preview, a weekly publication that supports the art community. He has published three books and released four albums of electronic music. Marcus has also designed web sites, logos, and artwork for area musicians and non-profit organizations, including LILA, of which he is a founding member. His is currently touring in support of his third book, “the soft paper cut,” a collection of original artwork and poetry. His latest album, 1945, is a concept piece about the atomb bomb, and is available as a free download from his web site.

Often hidden behind his super-sized monitor, Brady works on layouts with the same careful attention to detail as do people who create authentic miniature Civil War soldiers. He sees every project as a chance to make a big statement for clients. Along with excellent design skill, Brady is also a smart strategist who finds the tiny cracks that lead straight to a consumer’s sweet spot.

Prior to Hook, the University of Kansas grad ran DoubleYuji, a shop that merged the worlds of creative, branding and music. He also worked for Rawle Murdy Associates where he worked on Orient Express, CARTA and South Carolina Aquarium.

After dark, Brady spends time as the front-man for Dub Island Soundsystem, a dancehall reggae band and the proud father of his beautiful little girl, Sousa.

Brady’s work has been featured in Print Magazine and Graphis. He’s recorded in Jamaica and performed on bills with artists ranging from Digital Underground to Damian “Junior Gong” Marley.

A quick recap of November 12 PKN presenter line up:

Jacob Lindsey – Urban Designer/Planner with Keane & Co
Whitney Powers – Owner of Studio A Architecture
Jonathan Sanchez – Writer, Owner of Blue Bicycle Books
Brady Waggoner – Designer/Musician, Partner in Hook
Tim Hussey – Designer/Photographer/Artist
Colin Quashie – Artist/Writer
Marcus Amaker – Poet/Designer
Nico Romo – Executive Chef, Patrick Properties
Justin Nathanson – Film Director/Producer

We have so many other great presenters lining up…so stay tuned for news of Pecha Kucha Night Charleston v2.

Whitney Powers, AIA, is an award-winning, LEED-certified architect based in Charleston.

She founded her firm, Studio A, Inc., in 1989. Since then she has become widely recognized as a leader in both “green,” or sustainable, design, and historic preservation/adaptive reuse. Her work in both areas has been featured in numerous publications and journals. In August, a “green” house she designed on Dewees Island was featured on HGTV”s “Extreme Living” show. She was also recently featured in Skirt! Magazine under the banner “green goddess.”

A native of Columbus, Mississippi, Whitney received her undergraduate degree in architecture from Mississippi State and her Masters of Science degree in Building Design from Columbia University. She lives in downtown Charleston’s historic district with her husband, Edwin, and their nine-year-old daughter, Olive.

More details to come…but we are pleased to announce recent additions to the Pecha Kucha Night presenter line up. Each will be featured in upcoming posts.

Marcus Amaker – poet, graphic designer and sometimes musician. Visit.

Nico Romo – executive chef, Patrick Properties.

Justin Nathanson – independent film director and editor, and Executive Director of ChasDOC, a non-profit organization he founded to create documentary films.

Jacob Lindsey is a Charleston based designer and urbanist, and a founding member of urban design firm Keane & Co. Trained as a landscape architect, he has produced plans for new cities, towns, neighborhoods and blocks ranging from 32,000 to 4 acres. He has taught and lectured widely on contemporary urban design and received a 2008 Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism.

His Halloween costume this year was titled Dow Jones Industrial Average, October 2007 – October 2008.

Check Jacob out at his website.