The Sacred Face: Guardian Symbols in Cloth

As an artist, I am drawn to the synergy between the abstract designs and expressive distortions found in traditional African masks—such as warrior masks, which symbolize power and protection—and Negro spirituals, which also serve as a form of cultural and spiritual defense. For generations, particularly among enslaved and later freed Africans in the United States, these spirituals offered both practical guidance and psychological resilience.

I consider African masks, sculptures, and Negro spirituals to be ancestral threads in the fabric of African American quilts. My quilts serve as visual testaments to resilience, memory, and identity. Through fabric, stitch, and sculptural form, I honor these cultural legacies and give voice to stories that continue to shape our collective experience.