I was so pleased to have the opportunity to attend Azikiwe Mohammed’s talk on his latest exhibition, “11439 - 39202” on view at Yeh Art Gallery now until April 30, 2021. The virtual talk was organized through the Textile Art Center, as a part of a series of talks. I was so in awe of Mohammed’s description of his process and artistic choices. He carries humility and humor in his tone, but phrases his ideas in a stunningly beautiful way. I found myself rushing to write down almost everything he said in the exact way he said it so I could remember it later. I found that, even through the online platform, Mohammed has an air about him that is so inherently conversational I felt as connected as if I was attending an in-person artist talk. I only wish I could have plucked up the courage to engage more with him during the Q&A, but there were already many great questions asked and I did not want to run over time. I hope to possibly get in touch with him in the future. 

Mohammed stressed the importance of textiles in regards to how they define, evoke, and even create sacred space. He discussed how Black and brown communities are so often faced with a placelessness in America, as so many areas are defined by exodus, migration, and uncertainty. When it comes to what someone might carry with them (which Namita Wiggers also astutely referenced in our conversation) throughout time and space, textiles are always at the forefront. In a stunning turn of phrase, Mohammed described textiles as “Tactile, porous material that can receive our memories and hold our physical forms.” He enters Black and brown communities and sources his materials from second hand stores, yard sales, and directly from community members themselves. This process aims to acknowledge the previous life of the object, adding additional information to the object, “continue its path forward,” as Mohammed described. He seeks to honor the lives that are encompassed by each textile, but also places each work in context with larger themes of Black history, memory, and struggle, bringing each piece up to the minute with his sophisticated machine embroidery. I loved how this process of revitalizing memory not only required the reworking of each object for Mohammed’s own artistic purposes (he described resewing some of the seams of the jackets he found so they would hang correctly), but it also required the upkeep and care of the object itself. These memories are not just tools for Mohammed’s vision, they are living beings that he engages with carefully and with the utmost respect. I see the discrete parts of each work, the old things interweaving with the new, as a tender, equal dialogue taking place across time and space. Mohammed emphasizes time throughout his body of work in deliberate, highly intelligent ways; he mentioned how he incorporated ‘timed objects’ like dripping candles, half-lit cigarettes, and partially-finished drinks into his embroideries. To paraphrase Mohammed, these objects represent a universal knowledge of the time they take to completion. These clever benchmarks invite the viewer into the narrative, reflecting on their own sense of time and how time factors into their life through these familiar symbols. These calculated aspects of the work were also juxtaposed with Mohammed acknowledging the fluidity of his process; I loved hearing about how the embroidery machine behaved strangely on certain works, creating unexpected patterns and stylistic elements which then got incorporated into the final product. Again, Mohammed possesses a keen humility and sense of humor about his work, while also treating his pieces with reverence and care. I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend the talk, and I look forward to seeing more of Mohammed’s work in the future.