John Paul Morabito’s shimmering beaded tapestries shine a light on queer joy and possibility. In The Queue, the Kent, Ohio–based weaver and professor shares about the ideas and influences underpinning their practice, their vibrant materials, and the craft community in northeast Ohio. By Shivaun Watchorn January 15, 2025 A high school teacher introduced John […]
Rooted in the exploration of traditional textile and craft practices, the work of multimedia artist Ramekon O’Arwisters reflects his lived experiences as a Black and Queer man in the United States.
JANUARY John Paul Morabito: Take Me To Heaven Patricia Sweetow Gallery Los Angeles, California January 11-February 22, 2025 The title of this show, Morabito’s first solo exhibition, pays homage to the music and persona of Sylvester, the pioneering 1970s Black gender-fluid disco star. Morabito’s shimmering, multicolored tapestries further the quest for queer freedom and […]
John Paul Morabito—who, per his website, “engages queerness and the sacred through the medium of tapestry”—displayed at the embassy in Lesotho; and more.
The week is “a way to create energy and celebrate the rich Black art landscape in the Bay Area,” she added, explaining that the initiative extends beyond San Francisco to recognize “Oakland’s longstanding influence as a center of Black arts and culture.”
Since mid-March 2020, Ive been making and glazing my ceramic works at home, a dusty, messy thing to do. This necessitates transporting work back and forth to the kiln in fragile greenware or raw glazed state. I now do this by subway (I was previously able to score a ride every month or so). Im now adept at the finer points of moving fragile clay work around in shopping bags.
Developing the surface and coloration begins while a piece is still wet
By twisting, folding and pinching the hollow tubes, D’Arrigo knowingly occupies a territory first opened up by George E. Ohr, “The Mad Potter of Biloxi,” who has also been an inspiration for Ken Price and Kathy Butterly.
