Jill Wells
THE SEWING MACHINE, THE INTERWOVEN FLAG, Wood, acrylic, Steel, Fiber, 3D printed plastic, 2022-23
Jill Wells: SEWN FROM RESISTANCE
Opening Reception: Friday, March 7, 2025, 5-8pm
SEWN FROM RESISTANCE: Deconstructing Black Disability Narratives in America is a site-specific, multi-sensory installation by Jill Wells that critically examines the intersection of Black and Disability histories within the American context. This work challenges stereotypical portrayals of Black disability identities while celebrating the resilience and resistance embedded within these lived experiences. Through a fusion of installation, painting, sound, and tactile sculpture, Wells engages sensory elements that shape how individuals' access and engage with information.
Central to the installation are two-floor objects: one ancestral, an all-black 1958 Kenmore convertible sewing machine, symbolizing labor and leisure, and the other found, the black-and-white justice scales, representing equity and knowledge. Shadowboxed Braille-infused works, blacked-out shelves with blacked-out banned books, and hundreds of 3D-printed butterflies migrating across the space amplify voices and stories that have been largely erased from mainstream discourse. These materials spark a dialogue on systemic oppression and the tensions between societal structures and individual agency.
Building on her Black genealogical Black Thread research series, Wells intertwines personal experiences and first-person narratives from Black disability activists who have shaped the Civil Rights and Disability Rights Movements. SEWN FROM RESISTANCE constructs a space for recognition, reflection, and reconciliation, confronting historical omissions and re-centering the contributions of Black disabled voices. This exhibition honors the enduring legacy of activists whose work has profoundly shaped the national landscape.
Opening Reception, Friday, March 7, 5:00-8:00pm
Exhibition dates: March 6 - 28, 2025
Gallery hours: Thurs – Fri 2-6pm, Sat – Sun 12-4 pm
This program is supported by a grant from the Athena Fund.