He’s Royal: Kingsley George Lawton Cooper

On April 29, the 19th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition opened in Charleston, South Carolina. More than 70 artists from 22 states are featured in the juried exhibition. 

This year’s theme is “Regal Threads: The Majesty of Blue and Purple”.  

The curator, Torreah ‘Cookie’ Washington, is a renowned quilter, basket weaver, and fourth-generation needle worker. Her curator’s statement delineates her conception of the exhibition: “Drawing from histories that span ancient empires, sacred texts, and African diasporic traditions, this exhibition reclaims blue and purple as more than symbols of wealth and power — they become expressions of spiritual depth, memory, and resilience.” 

EARTHLY STRUGGLE AND DIVINE INHERITANCE

Washington affirms the complex meanings of the colours: “In the Bible, blue signifies holiness, divine presence, and a call to remembrance — threads woven into garments as a covenant between the human and the sacred. Purple, once rare and reserved for rulers, carries the weight of sacrifice, labor, and transformation — thousands of lives rendered into a single drop of color. Together, these hues speak to both earthly struggle and divine inheritance.”

It is both the sacred essence and the human elements of the creative arts that Washington celebrates.  Her perspective is reminiscent of the philosophy of the Dogon people of Mali in West Africa.  They have collectively fabricated a powerful creation story:  In the beginning, an ancient spirit spat thread out between her teeth, moved her tongue, and opened and shut her jaws to create weaving in much the same way that another god went about creating the word.  

It is precisely this mystical revelation that Washington highlights: “Through fiber — quilting, weaving, crochet, and beyond — these artists transform humble materials into works of majesty. What was once discarded becomes elevated. What was once hidden becomes visible. This is not simply an exhibition of objects but a declaration: that royalty is not bestowed — it is remembered.”

BRILLIANT VISIONARY, TRAILBLAZER AND CREATIVE SPIRIT

Donnette Cooper’s quilt, “He's Royal: Kingsley George Lawton Cooper”, was designed to honour her brother's life and legacy. In her artist statement, Donnette elaborates her intent: "I made this quilt in celebration of my brother, Kingsley, who died on June 18, 2024. He was a brilliant visionary, trailblazer, and creative spirit. His name is associated with royalty and, to his siblings' chagrin when we were children, our mother often treated him as such. In fact, her nickname for him was Maas Kings!”

Donnette recalls that “Kingsley loved purple, the emblematic colour of his high school, Kingston College. He served as head boy and was a lifetime supporter of the fraternity”.  She adds: “It was only fitting that I would use the colour purple to honour him.”  Donnette also explains that she  “incorporated the adinkra symbol – Nyame Nwu Na Mawu – in his quilt. The direct translation is ‘I live not when God is not’. It signifies the perpetual existence of the human spirit, which is part of God's spirit and being. So, if God does not die, humanity cannot die.”

COMFORTING WORDS 

Donnette notes that the  adinkra  symbol’s meaning “echoes the comforting words of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. in his eulogy for the four girls killed in the Birmingham church bombing: ‘Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance’”. In 2023, Donnette made a quilt to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham bombing.  She called it “Bombs Bursting in Air”.   The title of the quilt is an ironic reference to the patriotic narrative of the “Star Spangled Banner”, which celebrates the American flag as a symbol of freedom. 

Conversely, those bombs bursting in the air during that fateful church service confirm the irrefutable fact that America is rooted in genocide, enslavement, and white supremacy. Four doll-like figures, representing the young girls, hang below the American banner of freedom. The quilt is machine pieced and hand appliqued.  It incorporates hand-beaded cotton, felt, beads, sequins, and cowry shells.  “Bombs Bursting in Air”  along with “Nana of the Maroons” will be on exhibition at the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, Morgan State University, from July to December 2026.  

Donnette’s quilt in honour of her brother was first displayed at his memorial service. It received his urn. The magnificent quilt symbolically reconnects the threads and fibres frayed by the death of Maas Kings.  The exhibition, “Regal Threads: The Majesty of Blue and Purple” is open until June 14. A selection of the quilts will go on tour in South Carolina until 2027.