IMANI RUSSELL

In the early nineties, after the unexpected death of a dear friend, Imani Russell gathered materials found in her home and created her first cloth doll. Her novel and cathartic experience and affinity for the Gullah culture of the Southeastern U.S. inspired the creation of Indigo’s Friends Studio. Ms. Russell credits her mother and grandmother for their creative influences. She quotes, “childhood remembrances of summer visits to the homeland of my parents in the rural south and a fascination with my Gullah muse, Indigo, are the underpinning inspirations for my art creations. Barefoot on red dirt, blanketed cotton fields, ancestral history, and social issues influence my ideas of Beautiful Blackness. I compose sculptural figures, wall art, and utilitarian wares with reclaimed fabrics and found objects. Most of her supplies are sourced from flea markets and antique shops. Mindful of a no-waste approach, she uses the materials on hand. Intuitive resourcefulness and earth-friendly applications keep with her maternal ancestral practices and are nuanced in Indigo’s world. Repetitive layering and mending with hand stitches strengthen and transform the cloth, merging the past with the present, manifesting a thing of curiosity and beauty.”