Xenobia Bailey
American artist, born 1958
Mv:#9 (Mandala Cosmic Tapestry in the 9th Roving Moon Up-Close) from the series Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aeshtetic of Funk, Phase II
1999
Crochet, acrylic and cotton yarn, beads and cowrie shell
105 1/2 inches diameter (267.97 centimeters)
Purchase: The Reverend and Mrs. Van S. Merle-Smith, Jr. Endowment Fund, 2000.
2000.017.002

Xenobia Bailey began making crocheted fiber art in the 1980s, after her graduation from the Pratt Institute in New York. This large wall hanging is from a series titled Paradise Under Reconstruction in the Aesthetic of Funk, Phase II. Bailey presents a prototype for an African American aesthetic that would have been created if slavery had not been part of the American experience, one not based on a European aesthetic. She crocheted the mandala while listening to funk music, incorporating the influence of her musical heritage, along with aspects of Native American, Hindu, Buddhist, and African culture, into the piece.