Opening Day Talk: Lillian Blades

Lillian Blades, born in Nassau, The Bahamas, in 1973 and now residing in Atlanta, Georgia, holds a BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design and an MFA in Painting from Georgia State University. Her artistic journey has also taken her to residencies at the renowned Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine and Caversham Centre for Artists and Writers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Blades’ creative expression finds its form in captivating mixed-media assemblages, ranging from layered wall panels to dynamic suspended tapestries. Within her studio, she artfully combines a diverse array of materials, sourced both from her surroundings and crafted by her own hands. Inspired by her childhood home of The Bahamas, her ancestral roots in West Africa, and her late mother’s legacy as a seamstress, Blades’ art radiates with vibrant color palettes and evocative objects that weave together memories and histories.

As a public artist, Blades thrives on collaboration, delighting in joining forces with fellow artists and groups to create awe-inspiring, large-scale assemblages. Her work has graced solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums across the United States, as well as in The Bahamas, Trinidad, Germany, and South Africa. Noteworthy among her public commissions are prominent installations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, State Farm Arena, Georgia Power, and various corporate offices in Midtown Atlanta. Additionally, Blades’ artwork has found its place in the collections of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, and the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.