A short history of Black craft in ten objects

Chairmaker Awake debuts with a wondrous celebration of how "Black people have resisted their erasure through craft" over the course of American history. Antebellum laws banning enslaved people from reading or writing led Black Americans to record their history in alternative ways, Awake explains, describing how the Pictorial Quilt of Harriet Powers, a 19th-century Georgia folk artist born into slavery, commemorated an 1833 meteor shower interpreted by enslaved people as a divine signal that they would soon be freed. Black Americans made vital contributions to Southern architecture, Awake notes, pointing out that the American-style porch derives from those built on slave cabins by enslaved Africans, who brought from their homelands more sophisticated strategies for staying cool in tropical climates than their European enslavers. Highlighting Black artists' ingenuity across a variety of disciplines, Awake details how Richard Poyner revolutionized chair design in the mid-1800s by constructing backrests that bent backward, and how the Gullah community in the American Southeast transformed sweetgrass baskets from utilitarian tools for rice production into intricately woven decorative objects. The history offers fascinating insight into the creative ways Black artists have pushed back against oppression, and Holland's dazzling illustrations highlight the dignity of the featured individuals and the remarkable craftsmanship that went into their creations. This will expand readers' understanding of what crafts can do, and what they're for. (Feb.)

Though the title of this book describes exactly what it is about--10 objects--it packs so much more information into its pages. Chairmaker, teacher, and researcher Awake chooses objects that will be easily recognizable to readers from the southern United States. Some of these varied examples include front porches, face jugs, and Poynor chairs. Awake's research showcases the true Black history behind these very American materials. Many were made with African techniques or using inspiration brought from their homelands (or passed down) when the creators were enslaved and forcibly brought to the States. While there are no photographs, Holland's illustrations of the objects and their creators are art themselves. Researchers will be able to use this volume as a starting point into Black creative history, but not necessarily as their only source. Those who are not researchers may want to dig into the topic more as well. Either audience can use the back matter notes section to find references to further reading. VERDICT The short and easy-to-read nature of this book makes it accessible to a wide general audience. Lovers of history and its relation to arts and crafts won't want to put it down.--Elizabeth Chandler