Going from aviation engineer to quilter is as extreme a career pivot as it gets. However, 75-year-old artist Carolyn Mazloomi did just that over five decades ago and then cemented a legacy within the world of fiber arts as the founder of the African American Quilters Guild of Los Angeles and the Women of Color Quilters Network. As a Black woman raised in the Jim Crow South, Mazloomi uses her distinct black-and-white quilting practice to portray and honor heroic African American leaders and shed light on historic moments that have been pushed to the margins.
“Quiltmaking is a tradition and a mode of expression that is both intimate and esteemed,” says Mazloomi on the power of the medium. “Every human being has an intimate relationship with cloth. It is the first thing we are swathed in at birth, and the last thing that touches our body upon our death. Through the nuance of textile, difficult stories can reach audiences across identities and generations from a place of care, hearth, peace, and nurture.”
The Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem is set to present a solo exhibition of Mazloomi’s work from September 3 through November 2 entitled, Whole Cloth: Narratives in Black and White. Marking Mazloomi’s first-ever gallery exhibition, Whole Cloth features a collection of her large-scale quilts that recount the oft-overlooked impact of Black civil rights activists, leaders, and revolutionaries on American history. Mazloomi reflects on her practice as a quilter, the power of the medium to address tough subject matter, and the Whole Cloth exhibition below.
Through the nuance of textile, difficult stories can reach audiences across identities and generations from a place of care, hearth, peace, and nurture.
How would you describe your ethos as an artist?
I am committed to using quilting as a means of storytelling and cultural expression.
You were trained as an aeronautical engineer before becoming a quilter. How did that major career pivot come about?
I was trained as an aviation engineer and was very unhappy with my work. I worked with no one who looked like me, and most importantly, working took me away from my three small boys. I wanted to do something that would keep me close to my children; I didn’t want them with a nanny or in a nursery. My first obligation in life is to my children and my role as a mother, and everything else must fit around that parameter.
My brother and sister were artists, so I decided to give it a try. Instead of paints, I use textiles. Making art afforded me the opportunity to work at home and be with my children. I made the decision to become an artist 55 years ago, and I have no regrets.
68 x 69.5 inches | 172.72 x 176.53 cm; Right: Ruby’s Courage, 2024, Poly-cotton fabric, cotton thread, cotton batting, fabric paint. 68 x 67 inches | 172.72 x 170.18 cm
What does quilting offer you as a medium that other art forms don’t?
Quilting offers an endless variety of materials and techniques available to create work. Most people are familiar with quilts. Since I like to make work that revolves around social and political issues, using quilts to tell a story makes way for a soft landing for difficult subjects. Issues dealing with race are particularly difficult for people to accept. Viewing a narrative quilt makes it a bit easier.
Using quilts to tell a story makes way for a soft landing for difficult subjects.
What themes do you address in the Whole Cloth: Narratives in Black and White exhibition? What was your process like for assembling this show?
Most of the work in the show deals with Black history— the good, the bad, and the ugly. The work is pulled from my sketchbooks and notes. Over 30 states have placed restrictions on teaching Black history, making it so important that these stories be told, otherwise they would be unknown. There will be 55 quilts in this series and I plan to write a catalog. I also hope the exhibition will travel.
Over 30 states have placed restrictions on teaching Black history, making it so important that these stories be told.
What experience do you hope viewers of the exhibition have?
The exhibition is about educating the public on aspects of American history they may not be familiar with, and raising awareness around social justice issues. I want viewers to understand and challenge social injustices so we might alter oppressive systemic patterns of racism in this country.
What legacy do you hope to leave in the art world?
It’s my hope that the quilts I’ve made will be a catalyst for social change, raising awareness, challenging norms, and fostering dialogue. As the Founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network, the oldest and largest organization of Black quilters in the country, I have played a major role in documenting and preserving the history of African American quilts, ensuring these stories and traditions are recognized and valued.
Through the books I’ve written and exhibitions curated over 40 years, I’ve fostered a sense of community among Black quilt artists. The Women of Color Quilters Network has become their home, and the network is my legacy.
Header image:
Hands Up … Don’t Shoot #2
2024, Poly-cotton fabric, cotton thread, cotton batting, fabric paint.
58 x 102 inches | 147.32 x 259.08 cm