Labour of Love, 10” Diameter, May 2021, Embroidery on canvas,

I have been a lover of embroidery from a very young age, and up until recently I reserved that practice for personalized gifts and the occasional piece to adorn my own clothing. I recently began thinking about the political and historical implications of embroidery and handicrafts. The ties to my ancestors and the many hand embroiderers who came before me (most importantly during slavery) are what led me to create this piece, my first non-wearable piece of embroidery.

This piece was an exploration of what is possible when you merge Black portraiture, physical labour and embroidery.

This piece took months of work, thousands of stitches and hundreds of hours sitting hunched over this piece. I made this piece for the many Black women who came before me, whose only creative outlet was quilting, embroidery and handicrafts. Along with this, I am honouring my paternal grandfather who was a long practice tailor.

This piece was shown alongside Joy at “Love Letter” held as Slice of Life Gallery and Gift.