Because You Loved Me

This large installation piece pays tribute to my late Grandma, Naomi Thompson (d. 2019), and the unconditional love she spread throughout our family and community. When I think about happiness, I think about her—the way she lit up every room she entered, her generosity, and her dedication to helping others, even when she had little to give. She took in neighborhood and family kids, becoming a mother and grandmother to all, and they lovingly called her Mrs. T. Grief, as Jamie Anderson said, is just love with nowhere to put it. I put all the love I had for my Grandma into this piece. When she was alive, I would make handmade gifts and cards for her on holidays. This piece is a final gift to her to thank her.


Guided by intuition, I incorporated diasporic methods of ornamentation decoration and interior design, weaving together memory, family history, grief, and unconditional love. Through textiles, embroidery, collage, quilting, sculpture, painting, stained glass, glass fusion, embellishments, musical composition, and digital illustration, I created a portrait of my Grandma as a saint shining light through darkness, symbolizing the significance, influence, and strength of Black matriarchs in the Black community and beyond.

The piece also has a musical element, but this can be omitted or presented in a QR code.

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