ArtFields Studio Artists

Malik Hayward

Acline Studios - Studio 2

Nesmith, SC

Malik Hayward is known for his thought provoking works that imitates life and reflects one own personal experience. In his narrative painting series, particularly “Acceptance,” consisted of three pieces, Absence, Cope and A Royal Virtuous Woman seeks to depict inner psychological traumas specifically looking towards the experiences of heartbreak, grief, loss and longing. These are collective shared experiences and pain, and suffering are something that we all endure. However, our own individual encounters with these moments are often held within unable to be seen by others. Through realistic and naturalistic representational portraits and self-portraits, Malik’s work reflects on his personal experiences of losing a close loved one and the lack of a significant connection or relationship with father. Both experiences result in a feeling of absence or a type of void. How one fills this void varies from individual to individual, and these works reflect his personal coping mechanism of dealing with loss.

LaToya Thompson

Acline Studios - Studio 4

Nesmith, SC

My works are an expression of how I feel in relation to family, community, and my political views, and they are meant to serve as a source of encouragement to others. Through hand-made quilts, I tell stories of the wisdom and strength of my ancestors, while preserving the cultural traditions that have shaped my identity. Each quilt incorporates bright colors and African materials, reflecting my African American heritage. Inspired by dreams, visions from God, and the experiences of everyday life, my quilts act as vibrant visual narratives. Growing up in rural South Carolina, I watched my grandmother transform old, worn-out clothes into beautiful quilts that kept our family warm. Her resourcefulness and creativity sparked my passion for quilting, and today, her influence resonates deeply in my art.

Harry McFadden

Acline Studios - Studio 5

Columbia, SC

Harry McFadden expresses an innate calling to create from an ancestral space within his DNA. A space that serves as an interactive outlet for the viewer. To him, art is not as much about what is on the canvas as it is about what caused it to be there. His point of view is southern, rural, Black, and male. His work has been described as provocative, energetic, intriguing, whimsical, and powerful.

Caleb Braxton

Acline Studios - Studio 5

Myrtle Beach, SC

Making Art is a seed I’ve watered and tended to my whole life. For me, creating has little to do with the product. It is a means to explore and connect with myself and my human experience in a totally free and safe space. My approach to creating has become like a journal written in my own imagined language of symbolism. For me, art is a practice of healing and reflection. I’ve used art as a coping mechanism and healing tool since I was a teenager battling grief from the loss of my father to suicide. My art explores themes of grief, loss, and a temporal existence but also the tangibility of the human spirit and the beauty of the connections we make along the way. Life often seems like a series of breaks and reformations forcing us to adapt to new and often uncomfortable situations. Art has offered me grace and a weapon to combat life’s many struggles as well as a boon to its many beauties. I can honestly say I cannot imagine my life without it!

Tiffany Thomas

Acline Studios - Studio 7

Lake City, SC

Tiffany Thomas is an established ceramic artist and educator known for her emotive and expressive ceramic vessels. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts with concentrations in Ceramics and Painting from Francis Marion University. Her work has been exhibited widely, including solo shows at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia (2022), Francis Marion University in South Carolina (2024), North Greenville University in South Carolina (2016) and various galleries and boutiques across the United States. Tiffany’s dedication to her craft has led to numerous achievements throughout her career. In 2022, she presented at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Sacramento and served as a juror for the Palmetto Hands exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina. She has conducted workshops and an artist talk at Clay By The Bay in San Francisco, California. She has partnered with Geocentral in Mason, Ohio and sold her ceramic work via wholesale in galleries and boutiques throughout the country.

Luke Sarmiento

Acline Studios - Studio 8

Florence, SC

Luke explores the stylistic language taken from virtual representations of mythologies in video game media, the Internet, Asian cultures and economies, and the everyday. The images produced from drawing and painting are virtually real objects, detached from a programmed state, as part of the conceptual process of actualizing role-playing gameson the screen or in the market. Drawing has been fundamental in Luke’s practice as a sensorial translation of the world in chaos and contemplation. Luke’s videos question the reality of simulated spaces. Luke gamifies an experience for viewers as a visual epic as one relates to the contemporary world. In revelation to the anxieties of an advancing technological culture, it is necessary to become critical of global production as it relates to the spiritual. Luke’s work challenges the fantasies of the techno-orientalist eye by weaponizing histories of colonization, imperialism, and revolution.

Herman Keith

Burn Barrel Studios - 206 S Acline Street

Anderson, SC

Herman Keith is a native of Anderson, South Carolina. Herman’s work addresses a visual dialogue based on the understanding of visual energy using various media. Herman attended Howard University in Washington D.C. and received a BFA. Upon graduation in Herman began working as a Graphic Artist for the consulting firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton. Returning to South Carolina Herman attended Lander University to receive his Master of Arts in Teaching. Herman continued his career instructing art in the public-school systems throughout the southeast. He is the founder of HAKeith Brushworx and the South Carolina Rural Arts Project (S.C.R.A.P.) based out of Lake City, South Carolina, is a conscious effort to energize and revitalize rural towns and communities through art by transforming public spaces collectively with local individuals, institutions, and organizations.

Joe Dreher

Atlanta, GA and Lake City, SC

Joseph Dreher is a multidisciplinary artist working across mediums to create work that addresses issues of identity and community. Dreher’s works are a fusion of diversity, storytelling, politics, and raw emotion. For more than a decade, Dreher’s art has adorned buildings, streets, and other public spaces in Atlanta, transforming them into visual storytellers of the community. He is now a studio artist in Lake City at Acline Studios and is actively becoming part of the local community. His process is an ongoing conversation with the public and attempts to remove the barriers that separate fine art and street art. The work in progress offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in an array of themes that reflect the rich tapestry of his creative landscape. Dreher’s work narrates tales of hope, resilience, and celebration, resonating deeply with everyone who experiences them.