Renowned quilted portrait artist Bisa Butler has debuted a powerful new exhibition titled "Hold Me Close," featuring her latest body of work that serves as a visual diary reflecting her experiences as an African American woman in 2025. The show, which opened at Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles, showcases Butler's distinctive quilted portraits that combine traditional textile techniques with contemporary social commentary.
In her artist statement, Butler provides a deeply personal context for the exhibition, explaining that the work represents "a visual response to how I am feeling as an African American woman living in 2025." She describes the emotional journey that led to these pieces, noting how society has navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, only to arrive at a time when many civil rights protections are being challenged and reversed.
Butler's statement reveals the sense of instability she feels as an artist and citizen, describing how "protections and programs for non-white Americans, women, queer people, poor people, and people with disabilities are under attack, and it has left me feeling destabilized." She expresses particular horror at witnessing "immigrants being hunted, chased down, and kidnapped by masked men," and describes the thought of "people being gunned down and starved for political agendas" as "the stuff of nightmares."
The exhibition features quilted works that demonstrate Butler's mastery of textile art, with some pieces incorporating shiny and glittery elements that create visual depth and emotional resonance. Butler has created a video tour of the exhibition, allowing viewers to see the intricate details and reflective qualities of her work. The artist explains that she has "been looking for solace and turned to my work like a visual diary," using her art as a means of processing and responding to the current political and social climate.
Colossal magazine has featured a comprehensive gallery of images from the show, highlighting the technical skill and emotional power of Butler's quilted portraits. The exhibition demonstrates how traditional craft techniques can be used to address contemporary issues and create meaningful dialogue about civil rights, social justice, and the African American experience.
"Hold Me Close" is scheduled to run from September 13 through November 1, 2025, at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition has already generated significant interest from art enthusiasts and social justice advocates, with many visitors expressing a desire to experience Butler's powerful visual statements in person. The show represents Butler's continued evolution as an artist who uses quilting not just as a craft medium, but as a powerful tool for social commentary and personal expression.
