Masters of the Stitch: Threaded Stories at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem showcases narrative quilts by 12 Black American artists, drawn from the collection of Carolyn Mazloomi, founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network. Works range from Sharon Kerry-Harlan's abstracted patterns of Black faces to Donna Chambers' portrait celebrating Barack Obama's inauguration, addressing themes such as family, civil rights, the COVID-19 pandemic, and cultural memory.
The exhibition asserts that Black quiltmaking deserves a central place in the American art canon, challenging its historical relegation to "folk curiosity." By presenting quilts as fine art, historical archive, and cultural testimony, the show elevates a marginalized craft tradition and underscores the role of textiles in bearing witness to Black American experiences across generations.