Negro Cloth

This work draws inspiration from Adire, the indigo-dyed cloth traditionally created by Yoruba women in southwestern Nigeria through a variety of resist-dye techniques. Passed down from mother to daughter, Adire carries stories, technical knowledge, and symbolic motifs that reference plants, animals, geometric forms, and conceptual themes. I place this tradition in conversation with the history of denim in the antebellum South, where coarse cotton fabric, often referred to as “Negro cloth”, was issued to enslaved people for labor. The indigo that colored these textiles reflects a deeper history of African knowledge and material practices that shaped the development of American textile production. Through this pairing, the quilt highlights the often-overlooked connections between West African traditions and African American histories, revealing how cultural memory and inherited knowledge persist across time and geography.

Laser Etched Denim, Cotton Batting. 46.5 x 36 in.