Windgate-Lamar Fellowship
2021
I am in constant conversation with the past, present and future. My great grandfather was a sharecropper in Mayesville, South Carolina; I grew up hearing many stories about his migration north to D.C. These storytelling moments always occurred on the wooden porch of the house he built with his own hands, which made me vividly aware of the links between storytelling, family life and craft practices. I frequently look to my grandmother for memorable tales to serve as the foundation for my own creative practice. This has helped me establish my making methods as a visual artist/sculptor who explores the Black body in relation to domestic space. I associate my work with terms like "Black preservation" and "Black sustainability" because the space of the home becomes an extension of self, one which has to be maintained and preserved as a means of safety and source of memory and joy.
My art highlights the haunting of my people. I imagine their movements outside and inside their homes, recreating the imprints of elders etched into the furniture and fabrics of their environment. For me, to seal the importance of Black life in America means to craft literal spaces that reflect tangible memories of collective childhood experience. These miniature, intimate family spaces highlight each detail of every object that made the space paramount. I use dubied knitting machine techniques to create the fabric that allows me to imitate furniture, and use upholstery techniques to elevate the pieces.
Selected works
67 Broadway St, Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 785-1357 | info@centerforcraft.org
Gallery Hours: Tues–Sat, 10–6 get more info
Gallery Hours: Closed — Reopening Fall 2019
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