M.I.A.R.

Schetauna Powell’s work translates complex information into material interactions and supports the pedagogy and performance of collaborative design. Powell has a BA in English Literature, MA in Black Studies, and an MFA in Designed Objects from the School of Art Institute. She is currently a fellow at the Art Institute of Chicago researching stories about African American Architecture and Design in Chicago. The mission of her design practice is to archive experience through objects and create tools for Black families to connect one’s personal history to the larger story of African American life.

Powell creates interior objects, picture frames, portraits, toys, and furniture to archive everyday ephemera, help Black families pass down cultural knowledge, and reflect the dreams of her mother, daughter, and community. Quilt Blox! presents family portraits and archival images with African American quilt patterns like Jacob’s Ladder as a means for intergenerational storytelling. Grounded in geometric design, her work translates emotional needs like archiving history, creating safe spaces, and honoring maternal heritage into physical form. This exhibition explores connections between Bauhaus Modernism and African American decorative arts, positioning domestic objects as vessels for identity and care. Her practice centers on the idea that home objects can transform everyday living into a form of art, reflecting her inner life as a Black mother.