DA'SHAUNAE MARISA
Sunday Best
Sunday Best
Da'Shaunae Marisa
the artist's inspiration
Culture and community are the threads that make up the tapestry of our lives. I have created the Sunday Best quilt to honor a very specific space and community that has played such an important role in the life of the United States.
You see a quilt of portraits of grandmothers wearing their Sunday best, either at church or with family getting ready for church. The first of the women who participated is Ms Carol, wearing all white. She had brought together friends who have all been together for 50 years and now also do aqua aerobics together!
I focused on these grandmothers because of how the role they play in the Black community as matriarchs, as steadying forces in our lives – always listening to our trials and adventures, offering their wisdom and nurturing to see you through. I personally feel like I have half a dozen grandmothers who have looked out for me, in the spirit of it takes a village to raise a child.
And as these Black women always selflessly put other people before themselves, Sundays at church is really a place to pour back into themselves. Making sure they look cute and taking pride in their appearance is self-love and dignity. It is honoring God by showing their best selves.
And it is in the consistency of going to church that these women built something incredibly special: a community with each other. It connects their faith in God with each other, from the joy of greeting and the communal silence of prayer to the animated conversation about life and steady support when needed. In the whirlwind, changing world they have experienced during their lives, this consistent sisterhood – fostered over decades – nourishes them with strength and hope, so they can nurture the wider community.
CAPITOL PARK, detroit
june 2024
And that is why I wanted to combine their portraits in a quilt with the fabric texture of quilts and the stained glass of a church. It speaks to my personal experience of quilting and the gift of a quilt given to me by a godmother. I still have it today and it represents comfort, safety and love. There is a long history of Black women quilting, weaving artistry and stories for future generations, even helping enslaved people to reach freedom.
I touch on that with the Underground Railroad symbols within the quilt, which was important for me as Cleveland was the last stop to Lake Erie on to Canada on the railroad. It was called Station Hope and so many of Cleveland’s churches housed families fleeing enslavement. That tradition of community and solidarity has endured, as shown in this incredible sisterhood.
Sunday Best honors these grandmothers and makes clear they are loved and appreciated for the role they play in our lives. Through their example, it also asks us – how do we build our own communities, not necessarily in church, that sustain and enliven us to be our best selves?
Da’Shaunae’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
Be true to yourself and your passions, because why not? You only have one life so live it to the fullest. I believe being truthful about who you are and what you want to be in the world is what makes for happy human beings.
THEME
THE CULTURE
The Culture honors the countless strands of creativity, expressions and traditions of all communities that combine to create the unmistakable unique tapestry that is the character and culture of our everyday lives in the United States.
THEME
THE CULTURE
The Culture honors the countless strands of creativity, expressions and traditions of all communities that combine to create the unmistakable unique tapestry that is the character and culture of our everyday lives in the United States.
the artist's inspiration
Culture and community are the threads that make up the tapestry of our lives. I have created the Sunday Best quilt to honor a very specific space and community that has played such an important role in the life of the United States.
You see a quilt of portraits of grandmothers wearing their Sunday best, either at church or with family getting ready for church. The first of the women who participated is Ms Carol, wearing all white. She had brought together friends who have all been together for 50 years and now also do aqua aerobics together!
I focused on these grandmothers because of how the role they play in the Black community as matriarchs, as steadying forces in our lives – always listening to our trials and adventures, offering their wisdom and nurturing to see you through. I personally feel like I have half a dozen grandmothers who have looked out for me, in the spirit of it takes a village to raise a child.
DA'SHAUNAE MARISA
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Da'Shaunae is a multi-disciplinary artist.
Da'Shaunae uses her work to communicate the beauty and complexity of Black life in America and around the world. Her work explores the nuance of the connective threads between multiple generations and trauma. She intends for her work to inspire a greater sense of awareness in all humans alike. Da'Shaunae uses her lens in an intimate light while still grounding you to reality.
Da'Shaunae's work has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, Aperture, Time, and Google to name a few. Her commercial commissions consist of collaborations with Google, For Freedoms, Target, SnapChat among others. Da'Shaunae is a recent Google Image Equity Award Fellow.
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
And as these Black women always selflessly put other people before themselves, Sundays at church is really a place to pour back into themselves. Making sure they look cute and taking pride in their appearance is self-love and dignity. It is honoring God by showing their best selves.
And it is in the consistency of going to church that these women built something incredibly special: a community with each other. It connects their faith in God with each other, from the joy of greeting and the communal silence of prayer to the animated conversation about life and steady support when needed. In the whirlwind, changing world they have experienced during their lives, this consistent sisterhood – fostered over decades – nourishes them with strength and hope, so they can nurture the wider community.
And that is why I wanted to combine their portraits in a quilt with the fabric texture of quilts and the stained glass of a church. It speaks to my personal experience of quilting and the gift of a quilt given to me by a godmother. I still have it today and it represents comfort, safety and love. There is a long history of Black women quilting, weaving artistry and stories for future generations, even helping enslaved people to reach freedom.
I touch on that with the Underground Railroad symbols within the quilt, which was important for me as Cleveland was the last stop to Lake Erie on to Canada on the railroad. It was called Station Hope and so many of Cleveland’s churches housed families fleeing enslavement. That tradition of community and solidarity has endured, as shown in this incredible sisterhood.
Sunday Best honors these grandmothers and makes clear they are loved and appreciated for the role they play in our lives. Through their example, it also asks us – how do we build our own communities, not necessarily in church, that sustain and enliven us to be our best selves?
da'shaunae’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
Be true to yourself and your passions, because why not? You only have one life so live it to the fullest. I believe being truthful about who you are and what you want to be in the world is what makes for happy human beings.
explore the theme
THE CULTURE
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
DA'SHAUNAE MARISA
A Cleveland, Ohio native Da'Shaunae is a multi-disciplinary artist.
Da'Shaunae uses her work to communicate the beauty and complexity of Black life in America and around the world. Her work explores the nuance of the connective threads between multiple generations and trauma. She intends for her work to inspire a greater sense of awareness in all humans alike. Da'Shaunae uses her lens in an intimate light while still grounding you to reality.
Da'Shaunae's work has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, Aperture, Time, and Google to name a few. Her commercial commissions consist of collaborations with Google, For Freedoms, Target, SnapChat among others. Da'Shaunae is a recent Google Image Equity Award Fellow.
explore the theme
For everyone. For you. By all of us. Join us.
For everyone. For you.
By all of us. Join us.
PURPOSE
in our relationship with ourselves.
WORTHINESS
I am worthy of love dignity and respect.
AWARENESS
I know how I see the world and where it comes from.
BELIEF
I believe I have something valuable to offer.
PURPOSE
I know what inspires me and what I want to do.