WILLIAM T. WILLIAMS (B. 1942)

William T. Williams is a prolific New York artist. Among many accomplishments he initiated the artist-in-residence program at The Studio Museum in Harlem, a residency that has supported artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Simone Leigh, Kerry James Marshall, and Kehinde Wiley.
This portfolio is an early example of Williams' prints. The image of the diamond present in each of the compositions is a motif frequently used throughout his work. The shape communicates themes of abstraction inherent in the geometry of traditional African American quilting. Williams remarks, “the diamond shape is a stabilizing force, a form that interacts compositionally with what’s around it. But it goes back to the quilts of my childhood, the patterns and forms I grew up with.”