Blazing a trail

Perhaps you know her from her incredible ceramic wall mural or her activism either way, Malene Djenaba Barnett is a groundbreaker in the truest sense of the word

- Fleur Britten

Even wallpaper, it turns out, can have an agenda. The American artist and activist Malene Djenaba Barnett is talking to me from her elegant Brooklyn townhouse, and behind her is a wall covered with her own, instantly recognisable design, Mosaic, created for the LA-based interiors brand Lulu and Georgia. This dynamic pattern with metallic accents 'celebrates the legacy of Afro-Caribbean women potters', she explains.

Legacy-making is Malene's mission (well, one part of it) not so much for herself, but, more importantly, for her many silenced ancestors. 'I think about what we're going to leave behind, and how we have to take agency over our narrative,' she explains. We can't rely on anyone else to tell our story.' That's why, she adds, 'it's really important for me to tell these stories and to inspire others to take a deeper dive into their own family history and cultural identity. All we're doing as Black people is trying to get back to our source, without influence from other people.'