Fiber Artwork
In my quilting practice, I marry traditional quilt making techniques with crocheting to make what I call crocheted story quilts. I use a range of materials such as mud cloth, cotton, African fabrics, photo transferred images, and ribbons. Each carefully crafted quilt embodies meaning and tells a story.
In September 2024, my fiber artwork “Bloodline” was featured in the 2024 Environment + Microclimates Exhibit at the Boyer-Campbell Building in Detroit as part of the Detroit Month of Design. It is the largest work that I have completed to date—measuring 17 feet wide and 9 feet tall.
"Bloodline" is a crocheted story quilt that traces my maternal family line from the enslavement of our first known ancestor, Denmark Vesey (b. 1767), who arrived on the shores of Charleston, South Carolina, from Saint Thomas to present-day. It is a reflection on emancipation, freedom, self-determination, and the humanity of my ancestors that is rooted in memory and historical research.
The bottom border contains the names of known enslaved ancestors and symbols for ancestors whose names are unknown. The top of the border contains a declaration that I wrote that honors our struggle and humanity—with each letter and word sewn to the border.