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About Stephen

Baltimore City

Stephen Towns (Baltimore, MD) is a painter and fiber artist whose work explores how American history influences contemporary American society. Originally from South Carolina, Towns received a Bachelor of Fine Art in painting from the University of South Carolina.

His work has been exhibited at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Baltimore Museum of Art, Art+ Practice, The David C. Driskell Center, Jack Shainman’s The School Gallery, and The… more

View Stephen's Resume
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Harriet Tubman Quilts

Inspired by the novel Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton, these works  are mythical images narrating pivotal moments in Tubman’s life.

  • I shall find a path before the sun pierces the moon
    I shall find a path before the sun pierces the moon
    2018 Natural and synthetic fiber, glass beads, metallic buttons 65in x 53in
  • And I shall smite thee
    And I shall smite thee
    2018 46in x 58in Natural and synthetic fiber, glass beads, metallic buttons
  • We Will Part Ways
    We Will Part Ways
    We Will Part Ways 2019 35.5in x 48in Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, cotton batting, crystal glass beads, resin buttons
  • And the Lord shall cast a spell
    And the Lord shall cast a spell
    And the Lord shall cast a spell 2019 35.5in x 48in Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, cotton batting
  • We Shall Pass through the Combahee
    We Shall Pass through the Combahee
    We Shall Pass through the Combahee 2019 45.25inx 62.5i Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, buttons
  • Burning The House Down
    Burning The House Down
    Burning The House Down 2020 49in x 36.5in Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, buttons
    •

    • Story Quilts

    My story quilts narrate the life of Nat Turner and his 1831 rebellion.
    • Birth of a Nation
      Birth of a Nation
      2014 Fiber 5.5'x7.5'
    • Special Child
      Special Child
      2016 Fiber, Glass Beads 36.5"x29"
    • The Prophet
      The Prophet
      2016 Fiber, Glass Beads 37"x28.5"
    • One Night at Cabin Pond
      One Night at Cabin Pond
      2016 Fiber, Glass Beads 35"x28.5"
    • Baptism of Ethelred T Brantley
      Baptism of Ethelred T Brantley
      2018 29.5'' x 40'' Fiber, glass beads, buttons
    • The Revolt
      The Revolt
      2016 Fiber, Glass Beads 34.5"x27"
    • March to Jerusalem
      March to Jerusalem
      2018 30'' x 38'' Fiber, glass beads, buttons
    • Black Sun
      Black Sun
      2016 Fiber Glass Beads 35"x27"
    • Let No Man Put Asunder-Portrait of Nat Turner
      Let No Man Put Asunder-Portrait of Nat Turner
      2018 30'' x 24'' Fiber, glass beads, buttons
    • Let No Man Put Asunder-Portrait of Cherry
      Let No Man Put Asunder-Portrait of Cherry
      2018 30'' x 24'' Fiber, glass beads, buttons
    •

    • Sunken

    Sunken is a series of portraits on paper inspired by my research about the Zong massacre of 1781 in which 133 slaves were killed by their British slave ship crew. These works are a testament to the resilience of the Africans who survived the Middle Passage.
    • Sunken: The Captured
      Sunken: The Captured
      Sunken: The Captured Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    • Sunken: The Crew
      Sunken: The Crew
      Sunken: The Crew Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    • Sunken: The Crossing
      Sunken: The Crossing
      Sunken: The Crossing Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    • Sunken: The Cargo
      Sunken: The Cargo
      Sunken: The Cargo Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    • Sunken: The River
      Sunken: The River
      Sunken: The River Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    • Sunken: The Trial
      Sunken: The Trial
      Sunken: The Trial Acrylic, Fiber, and Copper Leaf on Paper 16” x 20” 2017
    •

    • The Gift of Lineage

    In The Gift of Lineage, I’ve incorporated fabric collected in the US and Ghana. This series examines the power of uncovering the past in order to create a prosperous and more certain future.
    • The Gift of Lineage 1
      The Gift of Lineage 1
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 2
      The Gift of Lineage 2
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 3
      The Gift of Lineage 3
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 4
      The Gift of Lineage 4
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 5
      The Gift of Lineage 5
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 6
      The Gift of Lineage 6
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 7
      The Gift of Lineage 7
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    • The Gift of Lineage 8
      The Gift of Lineage 8
      2018 24” x 36” Acrylic, Bristol board, metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread on wood panel
    •

    • An Offering

    An Offering draws inspiration from Marcus Rediker’s 2007 book The Slave Ship: A Human History. The eight works pay homage to the many West African people who were uprooted from their families and forced to endure the brutality of the Middle Passage. The shape of each work mimics the diagram of the 18th century British slave ship the Brookes. The figures and shadows in each work represent the multitude of unknown Africans who were captured and forced to live an uncertain future shaped by their captors. The hands holding candles in each work are an offering to these ancestors in a gesture of gratitude and solace. 
    • An Offering 1
      An Offering 1
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite,Bristol board,metal leaf,natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle,polyester and cotton thread,and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 2
      An Offering 2
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite,Bristol board,metal leaf,natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle,polyester and cotton thread,and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 3.
      An Offering 3.
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite,Bristol board,metal leaf,natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle,polyester and cotton thread,and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 4
      An Offering 4
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite,Bristol board,metal leaf,natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle,polyester and cotton thread,and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 5
      An Offering 5
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite,Bristol board,metal leaf,natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle,polyester and cotton thread,and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 6
      An Offering 6
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite, Bristol board,metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 7
      An Offering 7
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite, Bristol board,metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    • An Offering 8
      An Offering 8
      2018 16” x 49” Acrylic and oil paint, graphite, Bristol board,metal leaf, natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, and crystal glass beads on wood panel
    •

    • Find Me a Constellation

    Find Me A Constellation delves into to lives of children who experienced American slavery. Models for the portraits were sourced from archived images of enslaved children. Because the harsh realities of slavery may be inescapable, the only way to find internal peace was through daydreaming and the stars.
    • He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters
      He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters
      He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters 2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12x12
    • He Restoreth My Soul
      He Restoreth My Soul
      He Restoreth My Soul 2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12"x12"
    • I Fear No Evil
      I Fear No Evil
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12x12
    • I Shall Not Want
      I Shall Not Want
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12x12
    • I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever
      I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12"x12"
    • My Cup Runneth Over
      My Cup Runneth Over
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf Bristol Board on Panel 12"x12"
    •

    • Black Magic

    Black Magic examines the role religion has played throughout American history. The figures represent the Nat and Cherry Turner and how they use religion to escape the bonds of slavery, both real and imagined.
    • God's Ways are Mysterious
      God's Ways are Mysterious
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf on Canvas 24"x30"
    • The Righteous and the Wise, and their Works are in the Hand of God
      The Righteous and the Wise, and their Works are in the Hand of God
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf on Canvas 40"x30"
    • All is Vanity
      All is Vanity
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf on Canvas 36"x36"
    • Whoso Keepeth the Commandment Shall Feel No Evil Thing
      Whoso Keepeth the Commandment Shall Feel No Evil Thing
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf on Canvas 40"x30"
    • No Remembrance of Things to Come
      No Remembrance of Things to Come
      2016 Acrylic Oil Metal Leaf on Canvas 33"x28"
    •

    • Joy Cometh in the Morning

    Joy Cometh in the Morning is a series of works paying homage to the enslaved blacks whose lives were lost as a result of Nat Turner's rebellion.
    • I Shall Never Be Moved
      I Shall Never Be Moved
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    • By Thy Favour Thou Has Made My Mountain to Stand Strong
      By Thy Favour Thou Has Made My Mountain to Stand Strong
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    • Shall It Declare Thy Truth
      Shall It Declare Thy Truth
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    • Shall the Dust Praise Thee
      Shall the Dust Praise Thee
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    • Thou Hast Turned for Me my Mourning into Dancing
      Thou Hast Turned for Me my Mourning into Dancing
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    • What Profit is There in my Blood
      What Profit is There in my Blood
      2016 Acrylic, Oil, Metal Leaf, Bristol Board, Canvas and Paper on Panel 24" x 18"
    •

    • Lift Every Voice and Sing

    This series of works were inspired by James Weldon Johnson's poem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" which is often referred to as the "Negro National Anthem."
    • Sing a Song Full of Faith
      Sing a Song Full of Faith
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    • May We Forever Stand
      May We Forever Stand
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    • Let Us March On
      Let Us March On
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    • Let our Rejoicing Rise
      Let our Rejoicing Rise
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    • Facing the Rising Sun
      Facing the Rising Sun
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    • Lift Every Voice and Sing
      Lift Every Voice and Sing
      Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Glitter, Paper Bags on Panel 10”x10” 2015
    •