Wisdom Keepers, a solo exhibition by Adia Millett, explores the parallels and interplay between a craftswoman and a warrior. In both cases “martial arts” is an intricate set of techniques and skills used with the intentions of protecting, preserving, and building a community and its culture. While the tools used in this process differ for the soldier and the quilter, put side by side a shared story is revealed, providing a new perspective of our ancestral past, and perhaps our future. Power, endurance, and resourcefulness reveal the cultural interplay between tribal war and post-slavery reconstruction.
The craft components in this exhibition range from weaving, crochet, quilting, paint, and fused glass, each reflecting on our physical relationship to our earthly environment. In addition, Millett will collaborate with Bay Area dance performers, sound artists, and crafters to further develop the interplay between our ancient past, present day, and distant future.
