Bajan Mermaid

Artist:

machine quilted by Kim F. Hall

and Vera P. Hall

Dimensions:

33H x 3W

Materials:

wax batik, cotton

Notes from the Artist:

On a long-planned research trip about colonization and slavery in Barbados, I was stymied when it turned out that one of the archives would be closed during the entire trip. I flipped through a hotel magazine looking for something to take my mind off the disappointment and saw an ad for a batik workshop by artist Henderson Reece. After teaching me some basic batik techniques, he said “now draw something. ” But I don’t draw! His studio overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and mermaids are always on my mind, so with his encouragement I produced this mermaid. The quilt back is built around a tea towel commemorating the Chattel Houses of Barbados. These were the movable houses built by newly emancipated peoples that became a distinctive architectural feature of the island. I always associate mermaids with freedom: I hope the quilt embodies the ingenuity of Black people in slavery and freedom.