We revere Malene Barnett and the Black Artists + Designers Guild. What’s not to love? Malene Barnett founded BADG in 2018 to create a space where Black artists and designers are invited to thrive, connect, and collaborate. Needless to say, they will continue to be featured in our pure vibranium conversation…
As an artist and activist, Malene is an authority on the cultural traditions and practices of art in the African diaspora. She centers her own creative practice on the modern black experience, using traditional and contemporary methods and materials to bridge the function of textiles and ceramics from the African region in ways that explore what it means to be black in America today.
Malene is on the board for CERF+, an organization that provides emergency loans to artisans and craftspeople during natural disasters. Her entrepreneurial spirit was captured in the NY Times bestselling book In the Company of Women, and she has appeared as a guest speaker on Morning Joe, MSNBC Your Business, and TEDx. In 2019, she was awarded designer of the year by interiors + sources Magazine and the RADD Award (Real Estate, Architecture, Design Development) from Brownstoner.com.