To know one’s cultural heritage is very important to me. We must preserve our traditions, beliefs and way of life, in order for our future generations to practice them. I believe that not knowing and preserving our cultural heritage will result in the suffering of cultural degradation. This is one of the reasons why I chose pine needle basketry as my form of art. While on a family vacation in Charleston, SC, I discovered the craft of coiled basket weaving. Enslaved Africans, from West Africa, carried with them, not only their customs and beliefs, but the skill of coiled basket weaving to Charleston through the Atlantic Slave Trade. It was the enslaved Africans who introduced the art form to America, known to many as the seagrass baskets. I remember the first moment I saw the ladies weaving baskets at the local market. I was so amazed at how they created these beautiful works of art, only by hand, out of only natural materials. I knew that very moment that this was the art form that I wanted to create. Later that year, I enrolled in my first pine needle basket weaving class at Wingate University and the rest is history.
In my pine needle basketry, I also use natural materials such as long leaf pine needles, raffia, cotton rope, waxed linen thread, sinew, ceramic, seashells, nuts, wooden beads, wood slices and pinecones. My basketry has similar weaving methods, but nontraditional in design. My goal is to turn this art form, known to many as a craft, into a fine art, by incorporating sculptural techniques into my designs. I want to portray how basketry has evolved from domestic and utilitarian purposes, such as gathering crops, winnowing rice, storing grain, and carrying vegetables, and water into a beautiful, sculptural art form that can be displayed in galleries and museums.
For many, pine needle basketry is a dying art form. Many pour their dedication and passion into each basket they weave, but the future of this art form is still uncertain. I hope the work that I create will not only inspire the younger generation to learn about and appreciate their ancestors’ art form and struggle, but to inspire them to learn the craft of pine needle basket weaving and carry on their traditions and legacy.
