Wolf-Gordon’s Binya | Comya
Celebrating Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage

| New York, NY - June 9, 2025 | American surface design brand Wolf-Gordon proudly debuts Binya | Comya, a concept-driven collection of digitally-printed, PVC-free wallcoverings that explore issues of identity and legacy through the rich artistic traditions of the Gullah Geechee people. The exhibition is the third in a series of such explorations initiated by Marybeth Shaw, Wolf-Gordon Chief Creative Officer and Curator, that directs attention toward works of art, design and cultural heritage in their particular social context. 

Named for two Gullah Geechee terms – "Binya" (native of the island) and "Comya" (one whose ancestry is not of the island) – this unique collection pays homage to the descendants of West African enslaved individuals who blended their African culture and language with the influences of the southeastern United States' Lowcountry environment.

Binya | Comya focuses on the multi-layered history and artistic ingenuity of the Gullah Geechee people. The collection's designs offer a nuanced exploration of a cultural heritage that has persisted and transformed, demonstrating its continued vitality and relevance.
- Marybeth Shaw, Chief Creative Officer, Marketing & Design

The Binya | Comya exhibition aims to raise awareness of the significant contributions of the Gullah Geechee people, whose specialized knowledge and techniques in rice, cotton, and indigo cultivation, fishing, ironwork, and textile arts were essential to the development of the southeastern US coastal economy. The collection highlights how, for over 300 years, African tradespeople and their descendants were forced to utilize their ancestral skill sets, producing items such as sweetgrass baskets for rice harvesting and cast nets for fishing.

With Binya | Comya, Wolf-Gordon translates, through photographic means, original paintings and three-dimensional objects—sweetgrass baskets, cast nets, ironwork—into two dimensional mural images and patterns for application to commercial and residential interior walls. The collection celebrates the enduring legacy of the Gullah Geechee people and their profound impact on American culture.

Pinwheel Fannas: This classic medallion wallcovering pattern is composed of three of Darryl Stoneworth’s pinwheel basket designs. Printed at 100% scale, the design allows for a full appreciation of the intricate details of Stoneworth’s sewing. "Pinwheel Fannas" retains most of the baskets’ original colors, and a sprinkling of white in the interstitial spaces of the pattern provides a heightened sense of depth. 

Princess & Queen: A toile composition designed by Wolf-Gordon Design Studio, Princess & Queen artfully juxtaposes three significant pieces by Angela and Darryl Stoneworth: Angela’s "Princess Leia" basket and "Throne," and Darryl’s "African Wedding Basket." These works are elegantly set within Lowcountry vignettes, surrounded by a rich tapestry of subtropical flora, including palmettos, live oaks draped with Spanish moss, and graceful shore birds.

Stitched: The Stitched wallcovering by Wolf-Gordon Design Studio finds its origins in the robust coiling and sewing of an Angela Stoneworth coffee table base. The inherent structure of the organic fibers, originally engineered to support a glass tabletop, is reimagined in a horizontal pattern that faithfully reflects Stoneworth's craftsmanship. This design's adaptable visual texture is further enhanced by its ability to render beautifully in both bold high-contrast and nuanced tonal colorways.

Echoes of Sea Island History: This large-scale mural by artist Amiri Farris is a layered composition steeped in historical and symbolic meaning. Rich indigo, a color deeply rooted in West African traditions, is intrinsically tied to the Sea Islands’ history. Two birds representing the Adinkra symbol Sankofa—looking back while moving forward—evoke the wisdom of learning from the past. Adinkra symbols for unity and knowledge, along with silhouettes of Gullah figures, Marsh Tacky horses, Lowcountry plants, bateau boats, and cast net fishermen, illustrate Sea Island life and its themes of self-sufficiency and craftsmanship.

Rhythms in the Tapestry of Time: In this large-scale mural, artist Amiri Farris constructs a vibrant visual journey that intertwines memory, cultural heritage, and imagination. This mixed media work pulses with dynamic movement and layered textures, embodying what Farris refers to as the “color rhythms” that guide us through life’s ever-evolving narrative. Flowing drips, paint fragments, and energetic strokes form a rich tapestry that reflects the interplay between past, present, and future. Deeply rooted in the artist’s Gullah Geechee heritage, the piece honors ancestral legacy while embracing contemporary expression and forward-looking vision. 

Shadowmaker: This design celebrates Darryl Stoneworth’s sinuous basket rims and borderwork, drawing inspiration from the trellises, sunscreens, and wrought iron fencing prevalent in Lowcountry cities. Wolf-Gordon Design Studio chose RAMPART® Fiber, a flax-based wall protection with a distinctive vertical visual texture, as the substrate to accentuate the spatial dimension of Shadowmaker. The result is a design that adds depth and sophistication to any space.

Cast: This photographic mural, capturing a hand-crocheted shrimp cast net by Joseph Legree, Jr., is a testament to Legree’s artistry. To represent his skill, Wolf-Gordon Design Studio presents the 8’ diameter net at close to its true size. Shot against a black seamless photographic paper, the net, with its intricate folds and simple trapping mechanism, takes on a dramatic and almost spectral quality. Because cast nets are no longer commonly made by hand from cotton string, the image serves as both a celebration of its beauty and existence and a poignant reminder of a fleeting moment in time.

Net: A smaller scale, dense study of a beautiful, crocheted cast net by Joseph Legree, Jr. with which Wolf-Gordon Design Studio created a subtle double-layered design that lends itself to infinite color variations: from striking dark netting on a light background, to the inverse, or sophisticated tonal pairings. Net is an easy, adaptable pattern that, upon closer inspection, reveals its authentic handcrafted origins. 

Sown: A vertical pattern designed by Wolf-Gordon Design Studio, depicting a close-up interpretation of a traditional rice fanner basket by Lynette Youson. "Sown" is an homage to her precise sewing technique, which results in extremely solid and long-lasting works. The design takes the basket rows and rotates them 90 degrees to create a beautiful vertical pattern that makes for a straight hang random match wallcovering. "Sown" works well in its natural colors, as well as in a range of soft tonal colorways, offering versatility for various design applications.

Wrought: A grille-like pattern inspired by the wrought iron decorative gates and fencing crafted by Gullah Geechee blacksmiths. Its seemingly simple, graceful geometry belies the extraordinary skill required to work iron into a consistent and visually captivating overall pattern. Exquisite examples of this ironwork can be found throughout towns and cities in the Lowcountry, adding a touch of artistry and history to the urban landscape.

Binya | Comya is the result of a research project and collaboration between Marybeth Shaw and Erik Brown, Wolf-Gordon Acoustical Products Manager and Co-Curator, who has Gullah Geechee ancestry. Through their work with accomplished Gullah Geechee artists and cultural institutions, Shaw and Brown curated original works that were then photographed and manipulated by Wolf-Gordon Design Studio through techniques of mural design and pattern engineering to be realized in the medium of digitally printed wallcovering. Michael Loughlin, WG Customs Lab Director and Pattern Engineer, and Sierra Neale, WG Designer and Colorist, executed the design work in the Studio.

Curated Collection
The Curated Collection allows interior design specifiers to incorporate distinctive imagery from a select group of artists, with the added flexibility of various modification options including size, scale, coloring, and even printing substrate. Curated Collection digital wallcoverings become feature walls in interiors, rendering projects unique and site specific—whether behind a headboard or reception desk, in a customer waiting area, restaurant, or an office space. Working closely with WG Customs Lab, designers can choose from a variety of substrates, including embossed vinyl and PVC-free textured wallcoverings, Mylar® finishes, felt and textile materials, acrylic panels, window films, as well as Wolf-Gordon’s RAMPART® wall protection for high impact areas.

About Wolf-Gordon
Wolf-Gordon is an American design company offering designers a wide range of interior surfacing products united by the common qualities of excellent design and dependable performance. Founded in 1967 as a comprehensive source for wallcoverings, its product line has since added wall protection, upholstery textiles, paints, and Wink clear, dry-erase coating. Through its collaborations with leading national and international designers and in its Design Studio, Wolf-Gordon continues to develop new work that is provocative, inspiring, and of our time. Wolf-Gordon’s growing portfolio of licensed collections includes designs by Laurinda Spear, Karim Rashid, Petra Blaisse, Grethe Sørensen, Kevin Walz, the Boym Partners, Frank Tjepkema, Mae Engelgeer, Aliki van der Kruijs, and V Starr/Venus Williams. Wolf-Gordon account executives are based in all major markets in the United States.