Chris Harmon Earns Top Mixed Media Honor for “Periapt”
Charleston-based artist Chris Harmon received the Best in Mixed Media award for his artwork Periapt at the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest Fine Art Juried Exhibition. The annual exhibition is part of the North Charleston Arts Fest, a regional celebration of visual art, music, theatre, dance, and community programming held throughout North Charleston, South Carolina.
The exhibition was juried by Charleston multidisciplinary artist and curator Arun Drummond, whose work and curatorial practice are recognized throughout the Southeast. Selected from a large pool of regional artists, Harmon’s Periapt stood out for its layered materials, symbolic imagery, and emotionally resonant presence.
Chris Harmon is known for mixed-media figurative works that combine oil paint, charcoal, graphite, spray paint, metallic leaf, and other materials into richly textured compositions. His work often explores themes of identity, transformation, memory, and human connection through surfaces that feel both raw and carefully constructed.
Periapt presents a striking figurative portrait layered with atmospheric textures, gestural mark-making, and luminous metallic elements that shift with changing light. The figure emerges through veils of charcoal, paint, and fragmented surface detail, creating a sense of vulnerability and quiet strength at the same time. The title references an object worn for protection or spiritual meaning, reinforcing the work’s contemplative and symbolic atmosphere. Images of the artwork can be viewed at Chris Harmon Art.
More information about the festival and exhibition can be found at the official North Charleston Arts Fest website.
This article was written in part using artificial intelligence tools in conjunction with review and editing by a human.