Wright Auction

Born in Harlem, New York, in 1947, multidisciplinary artist Dindga McCannon is known for her work in fiber arts, painting, and printmaking. Inspired to pursue art at the age of ten, she blended traditional textile techniques, learned from her mother and grandmother, with fine art influences. Otherwise, McCannon is a largely self-taught artist guided by intuition. In the 1960s, McCannon joined the Weusi Artist Collective, an Afrocentric group that championed Black pride and African artistic traditions. As a response to the racism and sexism she encountered in the art world, she co-founded Where We at Black Women Artists Inc. in 1971 alongside Faith Ringgold and Kay Brown, creating a vital space for Black women artists to exhibit, collaborate, and educate their communities.

McCannon's work focuses on themes of Black history, female empowerment, and social justice, often incorporating mixed-media textiles and found objects into her practice. Her quilts and assemblages reclaim traditional needlework as a form of feminist activism, honoring the legacy of figures such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, as well as everyday heroines. One of her most iconic works, Revolutionary Sister (1971), challenges the lack of representation of Black female warriors in historical narratives. Over her decades-long career, she has continued to innovate, using vibrant textiles and personal artifacts to tell deeply resonant stories of struggle and triumph.

Despite facing barriers throughout her career, McCannon has received increasing recognition in recent years. In 2017, her work was featured in We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965–1985 at the Brooklyn Museum, shining a new light on her contributions to the Black Arts Movement. In 2021, she had her first major solo exhibition, In Plain Sight, at Fridman Gallery in New York City, accompanied by the first publication dedicated to her work. Examples of McCannon's work are now held in notable institutions, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Brooklyn Museum, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.