Chakaia Booker

Art Brokerage: Chakaia Booker African-American Artist: b. 1953. Chakaia Booker was born in 1953 in Newark, NJ and began working with rubber tires in the early 1990s. The various tread patterns, colors, and widths which the tires possess create a palette for Booker similar to the palette of a painter. Her work has layers of meaning that address African American identity: the black tires symbolize the strength of African American identity while the tread patterns and repetitive geometric shapes throughout her sculpture are reminiscent of traditional African textiles. Booker says, Overall the tires characterize, symbolize, and or signify toughness, linked to the will of the African Diaspora for continued survival. Booker's work is in the collections of many museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Snite Museum of Art. Listings wanted