Decoding Her Own Legacy

Decoding Her Own Legacy Malene Barnett Explores Her Legacy Through Intuitive Pattern-Making

By Livia Hooson

Photo by Alaric Campbell

“I want people to be drawn to the work, to ask questions, and to question not only themselves, but to be curious about the Black experience.”

Diving into the creative world of painter, sculptor, ceramicist and textile-maker Malene Barnett takes you on the plight of a woman decoding her own legacy. Whether it’s the brushing of paint or the shaping of clay, the Brooklyn-based artist is translating her history through craft while addressing themes of social injustice as an act of resilience.

Born in the Bronx as a first-generation American, much of her work is informed by her Jamaican and St. Vincent roots as well as her African legacy. She has designed bespoke carpets, custom wallpaper and tilework for renowned hotel chains and corporations, and launched her own eponymous rug-making company, Malene B, in 200 . Her bold textiles include carpets resembling aerial photographs of saffron-colored river beds and splashy montages of muted ink spots that add something unexpected to a space. And her multilayered clay sculptures she hand builds reference the same techniques used in the Yorubaland region of south-western Nigeria.

“This is a way to engage in conversation, whether they are comfortable or not,” says Barnett. “My work is just a tool to bring those conversations to the forefront.”

It is within this intuitive approach to patternmaking that guides Barnett, and the viewer, to peer past the beauty of the object and deeper into the symbology of where these designs originated. And it is her ability to design artwork that can fit virtually anywhere that makes this artist one to watch.