Aminah Robinson in her home
Photo by Jeff Bates
Courtesy of the Columbus Museum of Art
On November 21, 2020, the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) presented Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals, the first comprehensive show of Aminah Robinson’s work since she passed away, which celebrates the artist’s vision and the community and home she cherished. Raggin’ On features Robinson’s art pieces in different media, along with journals and memoirs, all coming from the artist’s estate that she bequeathed to CMA in 2015. The exhibition is on view at the Museum through October 3, 2021.
The Columbus Museum of Art Celebrates the Work of Aminah Robinson
Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson (1940-2015) was a prominent American artist known for the meaningful art she produced to record the missing pieces of Black history and encourage Black people around the world to research the stories of their families and document them for the next generations. Robinson lived in Columbus, Ohio, where she created many drawings, paintings on cloth, sculptures, books about her family and community, and large complex artworks she called RagGonNons. Most of them were inspired by Sankofa, an African concept that refers to the need to reflect on the past in order to build a successful future. Works by Aminah Robinson have been presented at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Brooklyn Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, and many other notable venues worldwide.
Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson
Big Annie Makin’ a Quilt for Baby Roy, 1983
Cloth painting, 42 x 37 ½ in.
Columbus Museum of Art, Museum Purchase
Raggin’ On is a broad survey of Robinson’s work and an essential part of the special Legacy Project aimed at preserving the art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson and introducing it to an ever-growing audience.
Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson
Gift Eggs, 1984
Rag painting with beads, 12 ½ x 9 ½ in.
Columbus Museum of art, Estate of the Artist
The exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art also invites visitors to experience the environment of Robinson’s home through the reconstruction of her Writing Room, recorded conversations with her friends and family, vintage photographs, and ephemera.
Detail of Aminah Robinson’s Writing Room, 2015
Photo by Alan Geho
Courtesy of the Columbus Museum of Art
Raggin’ On runs at the Columbus Museum of Art through October 3, 2021.