Cecelia Pedescleaux

Cecelia Tapplette Pedescleaux, wey pipo sabi as one Afrika-Amerika wuman wey sabi do quilt wok wel wel. Dem bon am for 6 August 1945. Shi sabi botbdi tradishonal way to do quilt and di moden art style. Wetin inspire her na African-American history, other Black people wey sabi quilt work, and di special designs wey dem say Black slaves dey use during di time of Underground Railroad to pass secret message give each other wey wan run go freedom.

Her quilt don waka go plenty places — dem don show am for China, France, Washington D.C., New Orleans, and other places for America. For 2013 to 2014, dem do one big show wey show 75 of her quilt for Le Musée de Free People of Color for New Orleans.

How she take start quilting career

Cely love cloth work since she be pikin. When she small, she learn how to crochet and knit (dem be way to use thread do design). By 1960s, she don dey make her own quilt using old school designs wey dem don dey use since.

As she begin read book about how African slaves suffer for America, di kain design wey she dey do come change — she come dey do quilt wey show African culture. One example na di bright quilt wey she make wey get bead and di Ashanti Adinkra symbol wey dem call Gye Nyame — e mean say "accept God" for Ghana language. Dis particular quilt show for Inspiration Exhibition wey Don Marshall and Sara Hollis arrange for Contemporary Arts Center.

One book wey really touch her heart na Hidden in Plain View by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard Jr., wey be professor for Howard University. Di book explain how slaves dey hide secret message and map inside quilt to help dem know road wey dem go follow escape through Underground Railroad. Dis story touch Cely, so she come begin do research about African-American quilters and dem special designs. She even remake some of di old designs wey slaves use dat time.

Wetin inspire her work

Cely dey get inspiration from:

Mary McLeod Bethune (famous African-American leader)

Books wey David C. Driscoll, Carolyn L. Mazloomi, Faith Ringgold, Cuesta Benberry, Roland Freeman, Gladys-Marie Fry, and Maude Wahlham write.

She also dey draw inspiration from di rich culture mix for New Orleans — di place get African, Caribbean, Hispanic, European, and Native American people wey all blend together.

Cely talk say: "My quilt no be just cloth — e dey 75% research, 15% cloth, and 10% heart."

Di kind style wey she dey use

She sabi use different quilting styles:

Thread painting (use thread draw picture for cloth)

Beading (put bead for di design)

Trapunto (style wey make some part of quilt stand like 3D)

Patchwork (join different pieces of cloth together)

Wax batik (African dyeing style)

Photo transfer (put photo for cloth)

Cloth collage (join different cloth pieces like picture)

3D cloth flowers and human figures

Traditional African-American techniques like strip quilting (join cloth for long strip)

How she take see her work

Cely talk say: "Every time I dey work on traditional pattern, I dey remember how our ancestors suffer — how e hard dem to get cloth, find time to sew, and di different ways wey dem use di quilt. Di joy of life dey mix with di wahala dem face, and di traditional pattern dey come get new beautiful meaning."

Teaching and community work

Cely no just dey make quilt — she dey teach people how to do am. She don give lecture, do live demo, and teach people all over America. She even set up one quilting group for Beecher Memorial United Church of Christ for New Orleans, where dem make more than 100 quilts give Child Welfare Agencies for 2013.

One special quilt wey she make about di slave revolt for di ship La Amistad dey inside di Amistad Research Center.

Exhibitions and where her work don show

• 2008-2009 – 9 of her quilts show for A Patchwork of Cultures exhibition for U.S. Embassy for Paris, France.

• 2010 – Her work show for DAR Museum for Washington, D.C. inside exhibition wey dem call Honoring Lafayette: Contemporary Quilts from France and America.

• 2012-2013 – Her work show for The Sum of Many Parts: 25 Quilt Makers in 21st Century America for U.S. Embassy for Beijing, China, plus State Historical Museum of Iowa (2013-2014).

• 2013-2014 – Dem do one-person show for her work for Le Musée de Free People of Color. Di show name na Why I Believe: An African-American Perspective of Quilting wey show 75 of her quilts.

• 2014-2015 – Her quilt Jewels of Faith, wey show how people for di world and dia faith dey complex but simple, show for Imago Mundi - Reparation: Contemporary Artists from New Orleans for New Orleans Museum of Art.

She also work with pikin dem from Reliance Center for Houston, Texas to make di Katrina Kids Quilt, wey dem show for New York Arts Club.

Her quilt don show for different gallery and museum:

• Ogden Museum of Southern Art

• New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)

• New Orleans African American Museum

• Ashe Cultural Arts Center

• Jazz & Heritage Foundation Gallery

• Contemporary Arts Center

• Stella Jones Gallery

Her work also show for:

• Southern University

• Tulane University

• Southeastern University

• Xavier University

Wie dem gada di tori

talk say:

"My quilt no be just cloth — e dey 75% research, 15% cloth, and 10% heart."

Di kind style wey she dey use

She sabi use different quilting styles:

Thread painting (use thread draw picture for cloth)

Beading (put bead for di design)

Trapunto (style wey make some part of quilt stand like 3D)

Patchwork (join different pieces of cloth together)

Wax batik (African dyeing style)

Photo transfer (put photo for cloth)

Cloth collage (join different cloth pieces like picture)

3D cloth flowers and human figures

Traditional African-American techniques like strip quilting (join cloth for long strip)

How she take see her work

Cely talk say: "Every time I dey work on traditional pattern, I dey remember how our ancestors suffer — how e hard dem to get cloth, find time to sew, and di different ways wey dem use di quilt. Di joy of life dey mix with di wahala dem face, and di traditional pattern dey come get new beautiful meaning."

Teaching and community work

Cely no just dey make quilt — she dey teach people how to do am. She don give lecture, do live demo, and teach people all over America. She even set up one quilting group for Beecher Memorial United Church of Christ for New Orleans, where dem make more than 100 quilts give Child Welfare Agencies for 2013.

One special quilt wey she make about di slave revolt for di ship La Amistad dey inside di Amistad Research Center.

Exhibitions and where her work don show

• 2008-2009 – 9 of her quilts show for A Patchwork of Cultures exhibition for U.S. Embassy for Paris, France.

• 2010 – Her work show for DAR Museum for Washington, D.C. inside exhibition wey dem call Honoring Lafayette: Contemporary Quilts from France and America.

• 2012-2013 – Her work show for The Sum of Many Parts: 25 Quilt Makers in 21st Century America for U.S. Embassy for Beijing, China, plus State Historical Museum of Iowa (2013-2014).

• 2013-2014 – Dem do one-person show for her work for Le Musée de Free People of Color. Di show name na Why I Believe: An African-American Perspective of Quilting wey show 75 of her quilts.

• 2014-2015 – Her quilt Jewels of Faith, wey show how people for di world and dia faith dey complex but simple, show for Imago Mundi - Reparation: Contemporary Artists from New Orleans for New Orleans Museum of Art.

She also work with pikin dem from Reliance Center for Houston, Texas to make di Katrina Kids Quilt, wey dem show for New York Arts Club.

Her quilt don show for different gallery and museum:

• Ogden Museum of Southern Art

• New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA)

• New Orleans African American Museum

• Ashe Cultural Arts Center

• Jazz & Heritage Foundation Gallery

• Contemporary Arts Center

• Stella Jones Gallery

Her work also show for:

• Southern University

• Tulane University

• Southeastern University

• Xavier University