IN DIEDRICK BRACKENS’ LARGE-SCALE WEAVINGS, Texas is omnipresent. At times, the state is a place of rest and sanctuary; at others, it is one of dispossession and assault. Vivid scenes of care and absolution take place here, in turn intimate and devastating. Brackens, who was born in Mexia, a town 40 miles east of Waco, is an artist who is deeply concerned with Texas. For better or worse, it’s home.
Drawing on diverse artistic traditions, including West African weaving, European tapestries, and quilting from the American South, Brackens, 32, reimagines Black and queer experience. Using soft, soothing colors, he confronts oppressive forces and histories while decentering