Bisa Butler Portraits in Fabric

I’ve been sharing and talking about Bisa Butler’s work since I first learned of her a few years ago. I don’t remember how I came across her—probably online—but my attention has remained fixed since then.

Now I’m talking about her again, arguing that you should have her book in your craft library.

The book is Bisa Butler: Portraits, published in 2021 to accompany her mid-career exhibit at the Chicago Institute of Art. The book includes full-page photographs and close-up details of twenty-one of Butler’s pieces, along with selected reference images. This fine art book beautifully showcases Butler’s portraiture.

Background

Born in 1973 in New Jersey, Bisa Butler is a contemporary African American artist known for her intricate and colorful quilts that celebrate Black culture and history. Her works are inspired by historical photographs and have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States. Her textile pieces often reference vintage black and white portrait photography. In creating these portraits, Butler selects fabrics that add color, movement, and symbolism to the image. Butler then meticulously cuts and sews the fabric pieces together, using a combination of machine and hand stitching to create depth and texture.

Showcasing craft and context

We see many examples of this detailed work in Bisa Butler: Portraits. The book also includes three essays by experts in contemporary art curation: Erica Warren, Michéle Wije, and Jordan Carter. The essays contextualize Butler’s work and the CIA exhibition in the history of quilting and its representation in fine art communities. In the last fifty years, the fine art establishment has gradually turned attention to some African American quilters, techniques, and politics. Two of the most notable examples are the quilters of Gee’s Bend and the work of Faith Ringgold.

The best thing about this book is the art, of course. The book is beautifully designed and printed to showcase the vivid colors at play in each portrait. The front cover showcases Princess, a young, confident girl looking directly at us, inviting us to look closer.

Each of the 21 exhibited works are printed as full-page (or larger) images. The inside front and back covers include close-up detail of the two subjects of Butler’s Broom Jumpers. Other detailed photos are included in the essays. By taking the time to pour over these closeups, we see the concentrated stitchwork that accentuates the forms in the portrait. Butler wants this fiber work to be noticed. When she posts images of her work on Instagram (@bisabutler), she usually notes “There is no paint on this artwork!”

Comparing Butler’s work to the reference photos is a lesson in adaptation. Most of the reference photos provided in the book are in black and white. Black and white photography can be potent—the subject is deeply contextualized into their environment because of the limited color palette. When considering Butler’s versions of the portrait subjects, we see vibrant, vivid lives pulled out of their contexts. Butler flattens the background entirely by placing the figures on created, non-representational, graphical backgrounds.

The people in Butler’s portraits are clothed in bright prints of varying volume and size. She often uses fabric changes to indicate shading. These fabric combinations indicate movement and dynamism that is not evident in the photos.

Look at the faces of Butler’s subjects and you’ll see layering of shades of applique to indicate highlights.

Add this to your inspiration library

I feel out of my depth writing about art techniques. I know there’s a specialized vocabulary here that I do not have. However, possession of an art critic’s lexicon isn’t necessary to glean lessons from Butler’s work. The process of observing and comparing can yield inspiration for makers in any context.

The next time you’re looking for a new source of inspiration, seek out Bisa Butler: Portraits. You’ll be drawn to the color, detail, and life she portrays.