E37. Bisa Butler: The Realization of Memory

In today’s conversation, Dario sits with fiber artist and storyteller Bisa Butler. Bisa tells the stories of African heritage and American home through an artistry and craft we all know as quilts. Her use of vibrant color and fine fibers reminds us that intentionality, textile, and choice allows our spirits to be known and rendered as portraits suspended in time and stories never forgotten. In this episode we explore themes of investing in your artistry, the universal human spirit, how a successful artist stays grounded, and Dario’s and Bisa’s 90s R&B/Hip Hop inspired handmade teen wardrobe Things we mentionTime as a function (and an illusion) of the gregorian calendarNegritude movement and who are we when ‘universal’ seems to naturally mean white James Baldwin, Doom and Glory of Knowing Who You are, DostoevskyBisa’s time studying art at Howard University included investigating the works and lives of Alma ThomasEizabeth Catlett Jacob Lawrence Henry Tanner Edmonia Lewis Gordon Parks James VanDerZeeThe beauty and genius of El Anatsui Episode Playlist and Film List A short film (aka video) about time travel as it appeared on Yo! MTV Raps: Here Comes the Hammer by MC Hammer Jason’s Lyric I’m so Into you by SWVOrdinary People by John legend Bisa Butler on InstagramAll the latest news about Bisa can be found on Bisa’s Linktree This conversation was recorded on Jan 6, 2022Host Dario Calmese Producer Carmen D. Harris  Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen,