History and Representation in Black Craft

CityLine: History and Representation in Black Craft

A new book highlights Black American artisans throughout history

JOJO’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. BUT FIRST, MASTERY OF CRAFT IS A WAY TO KEEP HISTORY ALIVE. FOR CENTURIES, BLACK AMERICAN ARTISANS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE HAVE DONE JUST THAT, EVEN IF THEIR WORK HASN’T ALWAYS MADE IT INTO THE COUNTRY’S ANTHOLOGY. A SHORT HISTORY OF BLACK CRAFT IN TEN OBJECTS IS A LOVE LETTER TO THE WORK OF BLACK ARTISTS ACROSS FURNITURE, POTTERY, FASHION, QUILTING AND MORE. AUTHOR ROBALO WAKA WAS INSPIRED AS HE RESEARCHED THE PEOPLE HE HIGHLIGHTS IN HIS BOOK. IT JUST SHOWS HOW DYNAMIC AND SYNCRETIC BLACK CULTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND THAT IT’S SO DIVERSE. BOSTON, BORN AND THE SON OF ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS, WAKA GREW UP IN THE SOUTH AND NOW RESIDES IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. HE’S NOT ONLY A SCHOLAR OF CRAFT, BUT AN ARTIST HIMSELF. HIS SPECIALTY STYLIZED CHAIRS, SOME SO DETAILED YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING IF YOU CAN SIT ON THEM. EVERY CHAIR I’VE MADE UP UNTIL THIS POINT, YOU CAN DEFINITELY SIT IN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE CHAIRS ACTUALLY FUNCTION, AND THAT I MAKE THEM AS IF SOMEBODY’S GOING TO SIT ON THEM FOREVER. I MADE A CHAIR INSPIRED BY FACE JUGS, AND THEY WERE TYPICALLY SMALLER VESSELS THAT HAD ENSLAVED POTTERS MADE, AND MOST LIKELY THEY WERE USED AS SORT OF A TALISMANIC SPIRITUAL OBJECT. AND THIS IS KIND OF GIVEN LIKE FURTHER CREDENCE BY WHERE THESE FACE JUGS WERE FOUND, YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FAMOUSLY FOUND HIS PASSION FOR CHAIR MAKING JUST TEN YEARS AGO WHILE WORKING IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION. HE DECIDED TO ATTEND A TWO WEEK FURNITURE MAKING WORKSHOP AT THE NORTH BENNET STREET SCHOOL IN BOSTON’S NORTH END. HE RECENTLY RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT MAKING THE HISTORY OF BLACK CRAFT MORE VISIBLE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WHEN I GOT INTO FURNITURE MAKING, I WANTED TO KNOW, LIKE, WHAT WERE BLACK PEOPLE MAKING? AND THAT INFORMATION WAS JUST NOT ACCESSIBLE. OKOCHA’S BOOK IS FILLED WITH STORIES OF ARTISTS WHO HAVE SHAPED HIS OWN CRAFT, LIKE HARRIET POWERS, A QUILT MAKER WHO LIVED ON A PLANTATION IN GEORGIA. I THINK IT’S AMERICA’S GREATEST ARTISTIC TRADITION, HANDS DOWN, ARE THE QUILTS THAT BLACK WOMEN IN THE SOUTH MADE. IT WAS ONLY RIGHT THAT I MADE THE BOOK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I ACTUALLY DRAW INSPIRATION FROM. POWERS COMPLETED PICTORIAL QUILT IN 1889. IT TELLS BOTH HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL STORIES IN ITS PANELS. THIS QUILT WAS STILL TEACHING PEOPLE, AND THEN THAT REALLY KIND OF SPARKED ME LIKE, WOW, CRAFT IS REALLY THIS LIKE ARCHIVE FOR BLACK LIFE? OWAKA ALSO HIGHLIGHTS ANOTHER ENSLAVED ARTISAN CHAIR MAKER, RICHARD POYNTER. HE ESSENTIALLY TOOK WHAT WAS ONCE SEEN AS LIKE A COMMONER’S CHAIR, A LADDER BACK. AND WHAT HE DID WAS HE REALLY REFINED THAT STYLE AND MADE IT MORE ELEGANT AND COMFORTABLE AT THE SAME TIME. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST TO HISTORY IF IT WASN’T FOR AN AD THAT HE TOOK OUT IN THE LOCAL PAPER WHILE HE WAS STILL ENSLAVED IN TENNESSEE, SAYING THAT I AM THE MAKER OF THE ORIGINAL POYNTER CHAIR. LIKE TWO BLACK ARTISANS, EACH LOOKING TO SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN THE AMERICAN INSTITUTION OF CRAFT, MEET EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME. THAT’S ALISON MOSES, A FELLOW BLACK ARTISAN BASED IN ALLSTON. A GRADUATE OF RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN, MOSES IS CARVING HER NAME INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACK CRAFT FOR CRONY MOSES. CRAFT WAS WOVEN INTO HER DAILY LIFE LONG BEFORE SHE STEPPED INTO THE STUDIO. I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFLUENCED FROM CRAFT, SHOWING UP IN IN HOME LIFE AND COMMUNITY AND GUYANESE CULTURE. BECAUSE MY PARENTS ARE FROM GUYANA. SHE FIRST BEGAN THE PRACTICE OF HER SIGNATURE STYLE OF CURVING WOOD WHILE STUDYING AT RISD. AND THE PIECE THAT I MADE IN THAT CLASS WAS ENDED UP BEING ACQUIRED BY THE MFA IN BOSTON. AND SO I HAD STARTED TO FIND THIS ESTHETIC I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THESE CURVED FORMS. THE PROCESS OF LAMINATION AND COOPERING. BUT IN HER FORMAL EDUCATION, SHE QUICKLY NOTICED A GAP BETWEEN HER EXPERIENCE AND IDENTITY, WHICH WERE NOT REFLECTED IN THE INSTITUTIONS OR LEADERSHIP AROUND HER. I THINK WHAT WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF NOT SEEING MY MY SELF REFLECTED IN THE DEPARTMENT, I ENDED UP DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGED WORK AS PART OF MY DEGREE PROGRAM. CRONY MOSES USES THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN COMMUNITY WITH OTHERS TO MAKE HER ART. SHE’S SEEN A CHANGE IN THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HER WORK AND THAT OF OTHER BLACK CRAFTSPEOPLE. CRAFT IS VIBRANT IN BOTH PLACES BY BLACK FOLKS, BLACK CRAFTSPEOPLE HAVE BUILT OUR COUNTRY, BUT HAS NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THE CRAFT INSTITUTIONS. IN 2019, WHILE BALANCING LIFE WITH HER CHILDREN AND A FULL TIME JOB CRONY, MOSES WAS INVITED BY A CURATOR AT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON TO CREATE A PIECE EXPLORING MOTHERHOOD, A THEME THAT IS NOW STILL A MAIN MARKER IN HER WORK. I WAS THINKING ABOUT A PROJECT AROUND MOTHERHOOD AND PANDEMIC HIT, A RACIAL AWAKENING OF WHITE SOCIETY WAS HAPPENING, AND I NEEDED TO BE MAKING WITH MY HANDS. CRONY MOSES USED THE CHAOS OF THE PANDEMIC TO STRENGTHEN HER COMMUNITY AND FUEL HER CREATIVITY, REINFORCING CONNECTION IN A TIME OF ISOLATION. I WAS TRYING TO IDENTIFY BLACK MOTHERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I WANTED TO BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY SO THAT MY KIDS SAW THE VALUE OF THEIR SKIN TONE AND MY SKIN TONE AND OUR CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. AND I WAS LIKE, HOW DO I REPRESENT THIS? AND WORK? MOTHERHOOD, BLACK FEMININITY AND COMMUNITY REMAIN AT THE HEART OF KRONI MOSES WORK, HIGHLIGHTING THE EVERYDAY MOMENTS OF RESILIENCE AND JOY. SHE’S NOW SHARING THAT SPIRIT AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC ART TRIENNIALS ACCELERATOR PROGRAM. SELECTED ARTISTS WORKED FOR SIX MONTHS TO CREATE PUBLIC WORKS THAT WOULD SPARK COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. HER PUBLIC INSTALLATION DEBUT IS IN CHARLESTOWN. SO IT’S REALLY, I THINK, AN EXCITING TIME FOR BOSTON, WHERE IT’S TAKING OVER THE CITY AND FOCUSING ON ART IN A DIFFERENT WAY, HOPEFULLY BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE CITY TO LOOK AT ART. AND THE TRIENNIAL 2025 KICKED OFF LAST WEEK. DON’T FORGET YOU CAN VIEW ALLISON’S PIECE, THIS MOMENT FOR JOY IN CHARLESTOWN NOW, THE BOSTON TRIENNIAL IS THE CITY’S FIRST PUBLIC ART ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PRESENTING BOLD AND CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC ART THAT OPENS MINDS, CONVERSATIONS AND SPACES. IT’S A CITYWIDE FESTIVAL HELD EVERY THREE YEARS. THIS PIECE IS CALLED SIBILANT SISTERS BY BROOKLYN BASED ARTIST SWOON. IT’S ON DISPLAY NOW AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND IT TELLS THE STORY OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ADDICTION AND TRAUMA, AND SUGGESTS ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR RECOVERY. AND PATRICK MARTINEZ’S PIECE, COST OF LIVING, HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE WINDOWS OF BREAK TIME. HE COLLECTED QUOTES FROM HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH HOMELESS TEENAGERS AND TRANSFORMED THEM INTO NEON SIGNS, GIVING THEIR WORDS PLACEMENT IN A PROMINENT PUBLIC SPACE. WELL, THE WORK OF MORE THAN A DOZEN ARTISTS WILL BE FEATURED AROUND THE CITY. THE ORGANIZATION PRIORITIZED NEIGHBORHOODS AND ROXBURY, DORCHESTER, MATTAPAN AND EAST BOSTON AREAS THAT OFTEN DON’T HOST PUBLIC ART. TODAY, AN ALL DAY. TOMORROW, ALL SITES WILL BE OPEN AND STAFFED WITH PUBLIC ART. AMBASSADORS. MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR

CityLine: History and Representation in Black Craft

A new book highlights Black American artisans throughout history

Author and chairmaker Robell Awake shares overlooked stories of Black American artisans in his book, “A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects America”. Like Awake, Boston-based artist Alison Croney Moses also looked for Black representation as she studied woodworking. She has centered motherhood and community building in her craft, Her first public art exhibition is located in Charlestown, as part of the Boston Public Arts Triennial.

BOSTON —

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