From bright yarns, pony beads, and cowry shells, artist and activist Xenobia Bailey hand-crochets elaborate shooting stars, suspended shelters, and sacred forms. Wall works and standalone sculptures incorporate the artist’s signature use of crochet into vibrant, sometimes psychedelic compositions that pulse with whorling patterns and color.

For more than three decades, Bailey has pursued a project titled Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aesthetic of Funk, influenced by the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War between 1866 and 1877. Policies aimed at assimilating millions of African Americans, recently freed from slavery, took a dark turn when white supremacists resorted to terrorism and violence to keep Black people from privileges white citizens enjoyed, including the right to vote.

Bailey contends that the unfulfilled commitments and intentions of Reconstruction have had a prolonged effect on African American families and continues to this day. She describes her work as a “remix of Reconstruction,” constructing a distinct aesthetic that draws on the rich material culture of African American homemakers, caregivers, sharecroppers, and domestic laborers. Many of these craft traditions revolve around textiles like weaving and sewing, often forming elaborate quilts.

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