re:pattern - Silhouette Series

re:pattern: Silhouette Series was installed at the RISD Museum in April 2025. The work engaged directly with the Lucy Truman Aldrich Porcelain Gallery, Happy White Pendleton Bridge, and the Charles Pendleton House. It responds to the ways Black female artists are often overlooked or confined to specific spaces within museum environments.

Pendleton House, designed to resemble a domestic residence, was originally built to house Charles L. Pendleton’s collection. Upon donating his extensive holdings, Pendleton stipulated that the collection remain intact and on public display. Over time, however, the museum has introduced select Eurocentric objects into the space to align with the house’s aesthetic.

This installation intervenes in that context by introducing greater representation. It incorporates references to Black female artists in the RISD Museum collection—both on view and in storage—alongside patterns drawn from my own work. The piece not only highlights the presence of Black female artists within the collection but also underscores their absence in spaces like Pendleton House, prompting a broader conversation about who is included in museum narratives and who remains unseen.

©Amadi Williams

creating

2023