A beige textile with may tight rows of multiple dark lines intersecting at a their central bases, orbs of red, yellow, and brown at the ends of these angled lines.

Roman Candles

c. 1951

New York

This dynamic fabric is an example of Joel Robinson’s freelance work with textiles and furniture design, which he undertook alongside a day job in advertising. Featuring a network of multicolored dots and radiating black lines, this celebratory fabric recalls the sparks of the popular fireworks of the same name.

In 1951 Roman Candles was awarded a prize as part of the Good Design exhibition series, co-organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Robinson contributed textile designs to several Good Design exhibitions as the first and only African American designer selected to participate in this prestigious mid-century design program.

Linen, plain weave; screen printed

African American artists

Textiles