Nellie Mae Rowe

1900 - 1982

The daughter of a former slave, Nellie Mae Rowe was born on Independence Day in Georgia in 1900. A strong and independent character from a young age, she would hide to avoid working in the fields, preferring to spend her time drawing and making rag dolls out of dirty laundry. In 1948, after the death of her second husband, Rowe was able to dedicate more time to her creations. She decided to return to the playfulness of her childhood, converting her yard into a “playhouse” and making dolls, sculptures, paintings and hanging constructions from recycled domestic materials, including chewing gum. Many of her pictures depict scenes from her own everyday life in rural Georgia. Her early drawings and paintings, using crayon, pencil and pen on paper, are mainly single unembellished images, simple outline representations of hands, fish and animals. The later works are more intricate, her single imagery replaced by a collection of animals, people and plants scattered over the picture surface. Her use of color also became more intense and vibrant. She believed her art to be a gift from God. After being diagnosed with cancer, Rowe became more prolific, determined to fulfill her artistic potential before she died. ¹