Inheritance, the headpiece pictured above, and Legacy, the video shown below, are designed to live in the pluriverse. Although to me they represent a deep connection to my mother, our ancestors, and their craft, they also tell a story to the viewer. The story changes much like the headdress does as it moves, weaving a narrative about community, childhood, and a passion for things made by hand. I seek to create a work that, instead of producing a specific story or set of knowledge for the consumption of others, stays true to its origins. The piece rejects the criticizing gaze of our current society and instead invites others to reflect on their own experiences with family, community, and most of all personal identity. I was inspired by the Gee’s Bend quilt; while I created this work I participated in the ritualistic spirit of making, and although I was not physically creating with others, the fabric scraps from my mother as well as the hand sewing techniques taught to me by my grandmother created a deep sense of connection and community. The quilt that I was inspired by conveys a shared sense of community, love, and care for one another. I wanted to mirror this through my own voice. The morphology of the headdress harkens back to the "storm of the sea" quilt pattern. My mother and father have always been sailors; my sister and I grew up on the water and it taught us a deep sense of respect for the environment we thrive off. The headdress not only represents me, it also represents where I come from, and thanks those who brought me to where I am today in its own way.
Emma Powers is a senior at RISD studying industrial design.