Homage to the unknown
SMITHSONIAN anacostia community museum
2019
I was immediately struck by the concept of quilting as a means of building community. Inspired by the quilts found in the museum’s collection, this mural is a nod to a textile created during the Reconstruction era. Preserved with no record of its origin or intended purpose it was yet another reminder that our histories as Black people were not valued enough to be documented. Though the work is anonymous, there is something to be celebrated in the creativity and ingenuity of the pattern, design, and vibrancy. There is freedom in imagining who produced this work and I am paying homage to them, the idea of the maker.
