The squadron’s bold orange patch pops against a field of royal blue. Stone-motif wallpaper reads like cloud banks at first glance, nodding to altitude and the theater of war, while a necklace of antique coral, Murano glass, freshwater pearls, quartz, and shell adds a sunlit sheen, like light glancing off an airplane wing. The vibrant palette stands in deliberate contrast to the erasure of the under-recognition of these African American aviators in the historical record.

Through a contemporary, narrative assemblage, Flying Panthers brings WWII aviation history and the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy into sharp modern focus.

Materials: Tuskegee Airman patch, realistic bald eagle model, quartz, Murano glass, antique coral, freshwater pearls, dollhouse miniatures, fly shell, fabric, ribbon, found objects, wallpaper

Framing: Archival museum glass in a deep silver custom frame by Chevy Chase Art Gallery, Washington, DC.