Walter Hood: Native(s)

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Native(s)
Exhibition
Mon, Feb 3–Sun, Apr 13
Campbell Elmaleh Gallery
 

Walter Hood: Exploring the Low Country
Lecture
Fri, Apr 4
12 pm
Campbell North Terrace

Originally debuted at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, Native(s) by MacArthur Fellow Walter Hood explores Black cultural landscapes in Charleston, South Carolina, and the low country. The exhibition confronts the erasure of the Gullah Geechee people's heritage amid environmental and social pressures, reimagining what it means to be "native" in constantly evolving landscapes. Through wooden artifacts, sectional drawings, and evocative imagery, Hood invites reflection on identity, belonging, and the intersections of decolonization, ecology, and design. 
 

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About the Designer

^{Photo: Adrienne Eberhardt}

Walter J. Hood, a multidisciplinary designer from Charlotte, NC, is globally recognized for his contributions in art, landscape architecture, urbanism, and research. Founding Hood Design Studio in Oakland, CA in 1992, he now leads as its creative director. Walter’s academic journey began at North Carolina A&T State University in architectural engineering. He then transitioned to their pioneering landscape architecture program, graduating in its first class in 1981. Further studies led him to the University of California, Berkeley. His passion for landscape and urbanism emerges from its broad, democratic scope, allowing experiences beyond architectural constraints. Infusing African American cultural arts into his philosophy, he established a unique voice, reshaping spaces to reflect contemporary needs without erasing their history. A professor at UC Berkeley and former Harvard educator, Walter penned “Black Landscapes Matter” and has received accolades such as the 2019 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2021 Architectural League’s President’s Medal award, and the 2024 Vincent Scully Prize.
 

Special thanks to coordinating partner Boston Architectural College, where Native(s) made its U.S. debut. Exhibition support is generously provided by the UVA School of Architecture's Office of the Dean.