Bisa Butler: Tender Monuments

Experience contemporary artist Bisa Butler's technicolor storytelling that has transformed the art world with portrait quilts joyously depicting Black subjects!

This striking coffee-table art book captures the artistry and detail of 38 larger-than-life quilts.

Bisa Butler's electrifying fusion of quilting, portraiture, and African American history and culture has made her one of the most exciting artists at work today. The Smithsonian American Art Museum will present the largest survey of Butler's work to date, focusing on her “tender monuments,” gentle but powerful artworks that bring new life to buried histories and encourage a loving, collective memory. This stunning companion catalog features all 38 of the striking, life-sized quilt portraits included in her exhibition, plus 4 additional works.

Often depicting people from photographs, Butler amplifies their presence and memory through massive scale, vibrant colors, and distinctive textures. The quilts reflect empowerment and dignity as they celebrate Black life, with most figures looking the viewers directly in their eyes, inviting them to engage with their humanity. The book features 76 gorgeous photos that capture the larger-than-life quilts up-close and from multiple angles to fully appreciate the artistry of works such as:

• Don’t Tread On Me, God Damn, Let’s Go!—The Harlem Hellfighters, a tribute to Black soldiers who fought in World War I. At 11 x 13 feet, it's Butler's largest quilt to date.
• Hot, Cold, and Vicious depicts hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa in their signature bomber jackets, boots, and bodysuits.
• Francis and Violette recaptures the artist’s grandparents’ joy as they posed for wedding photos in 1937.

Two keynote essays, vignettes highlighting individual quilts, and an interview with the artist reflect on the showstopping works and how Butler makes them all her own. Bisa Butler: Tender Monuments is a resplendent celebration of a one-of-a-kind artist making work that transcends time and tradition.