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The Zimmerli Reopens September 2!

The Zimmerli Reopens September 2!

Harriet Tubman: Footsteps to Freedom

Quilt with image of Harriet Tubman and a green path with white and black footsteps, surrounded by images of other abolitionists.
Kenya and Sharif (assembled and hand quilted by Maureen Kelleher), Harriet Tubman: Footsteps to Freedom, 2018. Cotton fabric, leather, cotton batting, thread, pencil, 80 x 57 in. (203.2 x 144.8 cm). Courtesy of Maureen Kelleher. Photograph by Max Yawney

Rendered carefully in leather by Sharif, the portrait of Harriet Tubman at the center of this quilt was inspired by a recently discovered photograph of the courageous abolitionist, conductor of the Underground Railroad, and Union spy during the Civil War. Kenya’s drawings of other abolitionists— including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Sarah Moore Grimké—as well as Tubman in her later years, line the upper border of the quilt. Dr. Kate Clifford Larson’s biography, Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero, is a source of inspiration for the Project. 

Narration by Sharif. Music by Cam Nicholson, “Castle on the Hill,” courtesy of Cam Nicholson.

  • Sharif: This is Sharif, one of the creators of Footsteps to Freedom. I chose this subject because in these days and times, race relations have come a long way and still have a long ways to go. After looking at yesterday, when things were more volatile than necessary, a miracle happened. People showed, while risking life and limb, that love trumps hate.

    Why the colors? The colors were chosen to echo life. The various cycles that we all experience and the roots from which we sprout. [unclear] to pay homage to all those who boldly struck out against the social norms to express a very profound statement: the essence of life wasn’t intended to be subjected to another’s ignorance.  

    Why the design? Both of my friends literally paint portraits exceptionally well. To learn to do what they did on canvas would take an enormous amount of time. So, instead I used cloth and leather to portray a picture that chains can’t hold. Art to me is all about creating and thinking outside the box, so to speak. I am involved in this project to lend a hand to my friends, to add a pinch of diversity, and hopefully make this a project that provokes thought and propels more people to embrace love.

    Did I quilt as a child? No, my mother made clothes; at that age that wasn’t exciting to me. It wasn’t until later in life that the idea was interesting enough to give it a shot. Thank you all for coming out today.

    The audio transcription above has been lightly edited for clarity.