Artist: Bisa Butler
Location: Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
Dates: March 15, 2020 – October 4, 2020
Bisa Butler (@bisabutler) is known in the art world for two things–a strong focus on Black identity and her signature quilted murals. With cotton as her canvas, silk, lace, chiffon and other decorative elements, Bisa created the stunning, family-inspired artwork featured in Portraits–her very first exhibition at Katonah Museum of Art.
To God and Truth is a printed cotton quilt based on an image of the 1899 baseball team at Morris Brown – the first educational system created exclusively for African-Americans in the state of Georgia. Of all 10 people in the photo, my eyes go directly to the little waterboy sitting on the lap of one of the men to the right.
Broom Jumpers
Broom Jumpers is an intricate photo named after customary marriage traditions practiced by enslaved Africans in America’s deep south. But instead of a white veil or bouquet, the bride wears a brimmed straw hat and carries a hibiscus-decorated purse.
Survivor
Survivor is one of my personal favorites from Portraits. The bright yellow background eludes a feeling of hope, despite these Pokot girls of Kenya consoling their young women in the middle after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM). The white handprint on her chest is symbolic of the idea of surrendering the need to continue this painful cultural practice.
When her stepmother passed away in 2019, Bisa Butler aimed to honor her with Dear Mama. Bisa considers this quilt to be a love letter to all mothers, as it depicts a deep-hued African-American mother standing over her child and handwritten lyrics to Tupac’s song, “Dear Mama” in the back.
Les Sapeurs
Have you heard of Les Sapeurs, or the “Society of Tastemakers”? This cotton and silk mural tells the story of a group of stylish men from the cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, who have developed a taste for luxurious European clothing from their French and Belgium colonizers. These colonizers often paid their servants in clothing and believed that secondhand clothing from Europe can help civilize the Congolesian people.