Art to Tell Stories: the Black Artists + Designers Guild's Malene Barnett on Embracing Heritage and Creativity
Portrait by Alaric Campbell.
By Julia Gamolina
Malene Barnett is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist and textile surface designer and the founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG), a global platform and community of independent Black makers. Malene’s art reflects her African Caribbean heritage, building on her ancestral legacy of mark-making as a visual identity, and has been exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the United States. Her art and design work has also been featured in major publications such as the New York Times, Architectural Digest, and Galerie Magazine.
Malene is a Fulbrighter, gives talks nationally, and publishes work raising awareness of Caribbean makers and ceramic art traditions of the Black diaspora. In 2024, Malene released her first book, “Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practice of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers” (Hachette), which includes interviews with over 60 makers of Caribbean heritage, taking readers on an important journey through the world of Black Caribbean creativity. When she’s not traveling the world researching Black diasporic aesthetics, Malene resides in Brooklyn, New York. In her interview with Julia Gamolina, Malene talks about embracing her heritage to fuel her creativity, and building sustainable streams of income, advising those just starting their careers to remember that your perspective is unique.
JG: I admire so much that you started the Black Artists + Designers Guild. Tell me about what you've done with the platform since its inception, and what you're hoping to see for Black artists, designers, and architects in 2025.
MB: We have empowered makers of African descent to create immersive spaces that center our culture and community. Guided by the principle of Ujima — that of collective work and responsibility — we’ve worked together to share knowledge, support, and resources. Our journey began with showcasing our work as a collective in the corner of a furniture consignment shop. We continued to grow through various curations, including New York Now, the Beyond the Mask exhibition at High Point Market, and our legacy project, Obsidian—a virtual concept house envisioning the future of home for Black families—which led to the creation of our BADG Lab initiative.
One of our proudest achievements is being commissioned to design the Underground Library at the Making Home-Smithsonian Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, which runs until August 10, 2025. This project exemplifies BADG's mission to create culturally immersive spaces. The Underground Library draws inspiration from the Underground Railroad. We reimagined Andrew Carnegie’s library into a 21st-century sanctuary filled with art, objects, artifacts, and books that honor Black legacy. By transforming this historic space, BADG invites visitors to reflect on the power of home libraries and the importance of literacy, particularly remembering how African Americans were denied the right to read under slavery.
We've also supported the expansion of multiple generations of Black makers' creative practices through grants and residencies. Looking ahead to 2025, I hope Black makers will continue to draw from their heritage and lived experiences in their creative endeavors without hesitation.
Legacy Wall with terracotta glaze and underglaze. Designed by Malene Barnett, photography by Pratya Jankong.
Now let's go back a little bit— you studied textile design, fashion illustration, and ceramics! Tell me about the why behind each—what were you hoping to do in the world?
Before transferring to the Fashion Institute of Technology, I studied painting and photography at SUNY Purchase. I pursued commercial art because I wanted financial stability, so I chose to study fashion illustration, driven by my love for drawing people and clothes. However, I found my true passion in textile surface design, focusing on rug design. This field allowed me to use the floor as my canvas, blending my love for patterns, painting, color, and creating products for many people to experience. I spent several years designing rugs, collaborating with weavers in Nepal, China, India, and Thailand for high-end interiors.
In 2017, during a sabbatical from my rug design business, I discovered my love for clay. Seeking a new medium, I chose clay and quickly became captivated by it. Always valuing learning within a community of like-minded individuals, I pursued an MFA in ceramics in 2020. My goal is to leverage my artistic skills and design background to reimagine Black archives by creating archival materials and installations that explore the ideals of home from a Black diasporan perspective and advocacy for Caribbean makers..
“Creating art requires time and space, and rest is an essential part of the creative process. Letting go of things and people that no longer serve you allows you to move toward your goals more quickly, and overall, you’ll be a happier person.”
Tell me about your experiences working before starting your own company. What did you learn that you still apply today?
I’ve only had two full-time jobs before becoming a full-time freelancer. I freelanced for ten years before starting my own business — I've always wanted to start my own business, so I never tied myself to a 9-to-5 gig. One key lesson I learned is that you can't rely on one source of income. This philosophy still guides me today, encouraging me to diversify my revenue streams.
How did your own practice come about? What are your priorities for it as we enter 2025?
Entrepreneurship runs in my blood — my aunt, a fashion designer, and my maternal grandmother, who also ran a fashion business, inspired me. I first launched my namesake rug design business in 2009, focusing on bespoke carpets for residential, commercial, and hospitality interiors. Over time, my creative practice evolved into a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ceramic installations, textiles, and paper weavings. This transition allowed me to explore new mediums and blur the line between art and design.
As we enter 2025, my priorities include promoting my book, Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers, continuing to create work that merges art and design through installations, and engaging in public art projects. I'm also celebrating my current exhibition, Illusions of Softness, at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco (MOAD), open until March 2, 2025. These projects aim to create spaces and archival materials that honor the legacy of Black makers in the Caribbean and beyond.
Ayawa, terracotta, glaze. Designed by Malene Barnett, courtesy of Wexler Gallery.
Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?
Being a creative entrepreneur is filled with consistent hurdles. Financing ideas has always been a significant challenge. I remind myself of my mother's advice to manage financial constraints: "Work with what you have." This forces me to rethink ideas to fit budgets and available resources.
What have you also learned in the last six months?
I've learned that you can't change what you can't control; you can only control yourself. It's best to focus your energy on self-improvement and let others be. Creating art requires time and space, and rest is an essential part of the creative process. Letting go of things and people that no longer serve you allows you to move toward your goals more quickly, and overall, you'll be a happier person.
“I’m admiring myself. As a single Black woman in a society where we often have the least support, I’m proud of how I’ve grown and continue to grow. Before we admire others, we need to admire ourselves.”
Who are you admiring now and why?
I'm admiring myself. As a single Black woman in a society where we often have the least support, I'm proud of how I've grown and continue to grow. Before we admire others, we need to admire ourselves.
What is the impact you'd like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?
The impact I want to have on the world is to inspire people through my art and life by being curious, learning, and connecting with others, and not being afraid to try new things or pivot when something no longer supports their growth. Embrace failure as a positive act—it teaches us valuable life lessons. My mission is to use art to tell stories and build communities through my work. When I see people sharing personal memories after being immersed in my art, I know I'm living with purpose, and that's a form of success. I aim to empower others to embrace their heritage and creativity unapologetically.
“Made for Mom,” an archival Inkjet print by Malene Barnett.
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
Stay open to learning, saving money, investing in real estate, traveling often, and being patient. Success takes time, and each experience is a learning opportunity. For women, particularly Black women, I advise knowing your worth and being unapologetic about it. Be resilient, and remember that your unique perspective and voice are your greatest assets.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.