This New Book Explores The Multifaceted Creatives Of The Caribbean

As the founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BA+DG) and a ceramic and textile artist in her own right, Malene Djenaba Barnett’s interest in her African Caribbean heritage has guided not only her artistic journey, but also led her to write the newly published book, Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers. Read on to learn more.

Tell us about your artistic path?

I started in textile, fashion and rug design, but I took a sabbatical from my business and wound up getting my MFA in ceramics at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture. At the same time, I was doing a deep dive into my family history. My mother is from Saint Vincent, where her mother was a fashion designer, and my father is from Jamaica.

And you won a Fulbright!

The Fulbright gave me a chance to research African Caribbean pottery and the people who make it. I realized there wasn’t a resource of these artists and their creative processes, so I decided to write it. The book brings attention to makers in the Caribbean and reminds readers that the region is not just the music, beaches and good food.

What’s next?

A curatorial team of five of the founders of BA+DG opened an exhibit in November, The Underground Library, in the actual library of Cooper Hewitt. It’s part of its seventh design triennial and it incorporates our work, plus the work of 20 additional artists in reimagining the space. It’s on display now through August 2025.