In the mid-1900s, in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, the descendants of slaves acquired land and homes, and were able to establish communities. Traditions flourished, and one of these was patchwork quilting. The New York Times hailed the Gee’s Bend quilts as “some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced.” Inspired by five of the community’s quiltmakers—Mary Lee Bendolph, Aolar Mosley, Arlonzia Pettway, Malissia Pettway, and Lucy T. Pettway—the artist Sanford Biggers has created a three-dimensional sculptural quilt for the Phillips. Worked into the quilt are Biggers’s personal memories as well as references to Black history, violence, and Buddhist practices. —E.C.

Intersections: Sanford Biggers, Mosaic
The Phillips Collection
1600 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Get Directions »