A beautifully illustrated look at the work of one of today’s most exciting artists   Bisa Butler (b. 1973) is an American artist who creates arresting and psychologically nuanced portraits composed entirely of vibrantly colored and patterned fabrics that she cuts, layers, and stitches together. Often depicting scenes from African American life and history, Butler invites viewers to invest in the lives of the people she represents while simultaneously expanding art-historical narratives about American quiltmaking. Situating her interdisciplinary work within the broader history of textiles, photography, and contemporary art, contributions by a group of scholars—and entries by the artist herself—illuminate Butler’s approach to color, use of African-print fabrics, and wide-ranging sources of inspiration. Offering an in-depth exploration of one of America’s most innovative contemporary artists, this volume will serve as a primary resource that both introduces Butler’s work and establishes a scholarly foundation for future research.   Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago   Exhibition Schedule:   Katonah Museum of Art, New York (March 15–October 4, 2020)   Art Institute of Chicago (November 14, 2020–September 6, 2021) “High-quality color images that permit a surprisingly detailed visual reading . . . [and] three succinct and thoughtful essays by the show’s curators. . . . One is hard-pressed to find fault with this beautifully and perceptively produced volume.”—Lisa Farrington, Woman’s Art Journal Erica Warren is associate curator in the Department of Textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago.