“When I think of who I am and what I do, I’m part of a tradition, an African American tradition in decorative arts.” -Robert Earl Paige

Robert Earl Paige is an incredible multidisciplinary artist and designer to whom we are in great awe of. The African American visionary has been conjuring up designs that speak to his heritage and experiences for the past 60 some odd years. With a background in Interior Design via the Art Institute of Chicago and a stint designing silk prints for a Milanese fashion brand, Paige has been keen on storytelling through pattern.  In the late 1960's Paige began his involvement with AfriCOBRA, an artist collective that explored the Black visual aesthetic. This introduction opened up more opportunities of Black self expression through design. Salon 94 Design quotes "the work reflects his potent ideas of beauty and reasons for making art that declares his politics, particularly as they relate to the history of civil rights and protest."

Duro Olowu is a Nigerian-born British fashion designer. He is best known for his innovative combinations of patterns and textiles that draw inspiration from his international background. Upon curating this exhibit, he tells Architectural Digest that Paige's work is "important for its use of both historical and contemporary African American art references as well as its respectful and expansive use of international influences, particularly those from the continent."