A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects

Black artisans have long been central to American art and design, creating innovative and highly desired work against immense odds. Atlanta-based chairmaker and scholar Robell Awake explores the stories behind ten cornerstones of Black craft, including:

• The celebrated wooden chairs of Richard Poynor, an enslaved craftsman who began a dynasty of Tennessee chairmakers.
• The elegant wrought-iron gates of Philip Simmons, seen to this day throughout Charleston, South Carolina, whose work features motifs from the Low Country.
• The inventive assemblage art and yard shows of Joe Minter, James Hampton, Bessie Harvey, and others, who draw on African spiritual traditions to create large-scale improvisational art installations.

From the enslaved potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, to Ann Lowe, the couture dressmaker who made Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress, to Gullah Geechee sweetgrass basket makers, to the celebrated quilters of Gee's Bend, A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects illuminates the work of generations of Black craftspeople, foregrounding their enduring contributions to American craft.

Delving into the history of Black skilled artisans, estimated to have outnumbered white artisans five to one in the southern United States in the late 1800s, this unique art history book celebrates handcrafted objects that reflect the dynamic nature of Black culture.

Luminous color illustrations by artist Johnalynn Holland highlight beloved craft objects and their makers, creating a fascinating volume to study and treasure.

Author Robell Awake is a notable furniture maker, artisan, and educator whose work has been featured in the New York Times and in group shows at Verso Gallery in New York City and the Center for Craft in Asheville, NC. Dr. Tiffany Momon, who contributes an afterword, is the founder and co-director of the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive and a leading scholar of Black history and African American placemaking throughout the southeast.

The gorgeous design is ideal for art collectors and craft enthusiasts, as a keepsake reminder of Black heritage, for Black History Month and beyond.

Perfect for:

• Anyone interested in the intersection of Black art, craft, and history
• Designers and craftspeople
• Educators and students
• Collectors and museum curators
• Lovers of fine and artisanal design objects

Hardcover. 144 pages.

About the Author

Robell Awake is a chairmaker, teacher, and researcher based in Atlanta, Georgia. His work aims to center Black aesthetic traditions and histories through scholarship and craft. He is a recipient of the 2022 Craft Research Fund—Artist Fellowship. Awake has taught at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Penland School of Craft, and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and presented at the Furniture Society, Warren Wilson College, Berea College, and the North Bennet Street School. 

Johnalynn Holland is an artist, writer, and graphic designer whose illustration clients have included The Atlantic, The Guardian, the Peacock network, and the ACLU. She is a 2023-2024 Baldwin for The Arts Literature Fellow.

Dr. Tiffany Momon is the founder and co-director of the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive.