Restitution embodies the idea of restoring something lost or stolen to its proper owner. This painter-turned-fiber artist makes magnificent quilts using fabric from family and friends, handed down over generations.   

 

“My portraits tell stories that have been forgotten over time. When you see vintage lace and aged satin, it tells you a story of delicacy and refinement of times gone by. When you see African printed cotton and mud cloth, it tells a story of my ancestral homeland, and the cradle of civilization,” says Butler.

 

Although her quilts are hung on the wall as works of art, Butler wants us not to forget the warmth and comfort that quilts traditionally offer. “When we are wrapped in quilts, we are protected from the cold.”

 

Born in Orange, New Jersey, Butler graduated from Howard University with a BFA in art, and received her Masters from Montclair University. In addition to her art, Butler is a wife, mother of two, and an art teacher in Newark. She has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and internationally including the Quilt Expo at the Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa.