ImPrint

Narai Henderson

IMPRINT is a fabric installation created by Narai Henderson. As a graphic designer with multiple cultures, I wanted to create a visual fabric installation to communicate my different cultures, such as African American, Cherokee, Irish, and Marylander, into a pattern that unifies all my identities.

Each piece of the pattern represents a part of me. I focused on the color, placement, and symbols to tell a story in the pattern. Each symbol meaning has historical significance to its cultural identity.

The colors represent my identities in print: black represents African American identity, yellow represents Cherokee identity, and red represents Maryland identity. The symbols used and placement of the symbols played a role in the pattern. The Crab claws and black-eyed susans symbolize my home state of Maryland, as it is a big part of who I am. The corn nibs, sunflowers, and sunflower seeds represent my Cherokee culture. The four-leaf clover represents my Irish heritage. The turtle and two budgies represent my pets because of their impact on my life. Finally, the hearts tell my four loves in my life: family, friends, pets, and myself.

The goal of IMPRINT is to educate my audience on the importance of a symbol’s function. As a person with many identities, making this piece allowed me to reflect on my family tree. Creating a beautiful piece of art as a pattern as they are cultures makes me feel proud to uphold my culture and traditions.