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Essential Worker – Story Behind the Art

January 7, 2021 by Clara Nartey 4 Comments

Hey Creative Friend,

It’s time for another SBTA- Story Behind the Art. This time the piece in question is “Essential Worker” It was the last piece I completed in 2020.

I started working on Essential Worker at the end of March, early April, 2020 – soon after the COVID pandemic had become an issue here in the U.S. During this period, we watched many passengers on a cruise ship test positive and the controversy about whether or not to allow the ship to dock in California.

The Story Behind the Art – Essential Worker

I know, I know, it feels like a long time ago. Yes! Sometimes, it just takes a while for me to develop my ideas into a piece of artwork.

This piece – Essential Worker – was in direct response to the coronavirus. I wanted to capture the panic at the time, the feeling of bravery and heroism of essential workers. On a daily basis, they were heading out towards the virus when the rest of the public was looking for ways to stay away from it.

The Climate in Which I Created Essential Worker

In the beginning months of the pandemic, there was a severe shortage of personal protective equipment especially for healthcare workers. At around the same time, a raging debate about the effectiveness of homemade-masks ensued. For this reason, I chose to use a homemade mask to memorialize that period during the pandemic. It was a time when the CDC was recommending that healthcare and essential workers use TShirts and any cloth covering over their mouths and noses because there just weren’t enough PPE.

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker (detail), 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

I also wanted to use homemade masks instead of N95 masks to acknowledge the sacrifice of so many sewists all across the country who sewed masks for essential workers – firefighters, healthcare workers, teachers, restaurant workers and so many more. Children and adults alike, many who hadn’t sewed for years, dusted off their old sewing machines, in some cases organized sewing groups, and made millions of masks. The generosity of the human spirit was truly on display during this time.

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker (detail), 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

More Inspiration for Essential Worker

Additionally, I witnessed how the country went into lockdown and how some people who’d previously been at the bottom of society’s ladder, suddenly become classified as “essential” to the functioning of our economy. When companies started closing their doors for business, these grocery workers, mail men, uber drivers, delivery people, kept working to keep everyone else comfortable. 

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker (detail), 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

Honoring the Essential Worker

For some of them, it was a choice between their health and being able to provide for their families. Black workers were disproportionately found among Essential Workers. They risked their health and that of their families resulting in high death rates from COVID in the Black community.

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker (detail), 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

In the early days of the pandemic when the country was in lockdown, hair salons were closed and for the first time, people had to learn to groom their own hair, cut and style their hair or just let it be. For the Essential Worker, there was no option to let their hair be, because unlike the rest of the population, they had to show up at work.

Incorporating my Identity into my Art

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus

So, I chose to braid the hair of the subject in this portrait because braids are a form of protection for the Black person’s hair. Braids help lock in much-needed moisture and protect the hair from the elements and from breakage or damage. Braids can also be worn for long periods of time without needing to go back to the salon to have it redone. 

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Fabrics I designed for Essential Worker

As you know, I like to use a lot of symbolism in my work. For this piece, I wanted to juxtapose protection from the braids for this Essential Worker’s hair against the protection of the mask from the virus. 

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Fabrics I designed for Essential Worker

I designed three fabrics, specifically for this project. One for the mask (an original kente fabric design), another for the shirt (an original Ankara fabric pattern) and the third for the background. I wanted the background fabric to reflect some of the terminology that became part of our vocabulary as a result of the pandemic. So, you’ll find many words we now use everyday in that fabric.

The Year That will not be Easily Forgotten

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker (detail), 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

2020 is behind us; but we’ll never forget it.  This piece will always remind me of what a year 2020 was. It was a tough year. Many lives and jobs were lost due to the pandemic. We had racial unrest and reckoning which traumatized me. I wrote about that experience here. It turned out to be one of my most shared articles resulting in a lot of support as well as hate mail. All of that inspired me to create yet another powerful piece of work – a tribute to Charleena. No doubt that 2020 has certainly gone down in the books as a year to be remembered. 

Essential Worker | Health Heroes | Grocery Workers | Delivery Drivers | Art Quilt| Textile Art | Pandemic | Corona Virus
Essential Worker, 2020, Threads, Fabric, Ink, 40″ x 30″

At the end of the year, I was especially delighted when I realized that TIME magazine reader’s poll for 2020 chose the Essential Worker as the person of the year. Many people stood up and stood out in 2020 but I tip my hat off to the Essential Worker. 

Question: What or who stood out to you in 2020?

Warmest Regards,

Clara's Signature
Buy a print of Essential Worker

PS: Want more? Read other Stories Behind The Art.

Get behind the scenes and learn more about my art practice, events, exhibitions and release of new artworks


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Also published on Medium.

Comments

  1. Patti says

    January 7, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    Hello Clara,
    What stood out to me the most was the loss of Justice Ruth Ginsberg and Senator John Lewis. I knew our country was in trouble when we lost the voices of reason. I have not worked on my art as much the last year. My sketches seemed to be dark like a cloud of impending doom. But out of that, and yesterday’s acts, I know to go back and continue to sketch the darkness, as it is what I need to see to find resolve. Art is not always pretty, but it is truth.

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      January 7, 2021 at 1:43 pm

      You’re right Patti. Art is not always pretty and we shouldn’t expect it to be. It is our truth as artists and we should find the courage to speak that truth. I wish you the best in getting back to creating art that comes from your soul.

      Reply
  2. Sharon Harris says

    January 8, 2021 at 3:15 am

    I just wanted to comment about the physical beauty of this particular work. Symbolism is always dynamically important with any real piece of art but I’m certain that many, like me, first have our eyes lock on to a piece that visually resonates with us.

    Reply
    • Clara Nartey says

      January 8, 2021 at 8:35 am

      Thanks Sharon that means a lot to me. I worked real hard on it especially those braids and I’m glad the way they turned out. You’re right. Beauty is attractive, it makes us pay attention and symbolism is often lost on us. That’s why I tell these stories. I love pretty things. I always have and always will. I’m learning to make pretty things which stand for something. Thanks for your support.

      Reply

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