/Patterns of the Continent: Exploring African Textiles through Enamel

Jennifer Davis Carey

Material Needs 2022

September 8 - October 9, 2022

materials funded: enamels, copper sheets, beads, ephemera

/STATEMENT

With a particular emphasis on color and pattern, this series of works, Patterns of the Continent, considers the tradition of textiles produced by various African traditions. While the bright colors of Dutch Wax cloth (technically not African but widely used) and the intricate patterns of Kente are the best known of these textiles, the expression of this craft extends much further.

While the pandemic tremendously reduced opportunities for visits to galleries and museums, I was able to slip in to see two intriguing exhibits. During the spring of 2020, the New England Quilt Museum hosted the work of Hollis Chatelaine whose work incorporates and celebrates the richness of African textiles. A visit to the Metropolitan Museum in New York allowed me to explore the expansive collection in the Michael Rockefeller Wing, including textiles spanning the Continent. These visits sparked my interest in textiles and challenged me to work to render their complexities in enamel, a medium I have been working in for many years.