Crocheting Art with the Crochet Kingpin

Each month, Phillips@THEARC hosts Spinning a Yarn: Crochet Circle led by Dwayne Lawson-Brown and inspired by a work in the collection. Here, Dwayne tells us about the Crochet Circle and how he got into crochet.

How did you first get into crochet?

My mother used to crochet regularly. She tried to teach me as a child, but I wouldn’t sit still to focus. A seed planted. In my early 20s. I dated a young lady who latchhooked projects regularly. We went to pick up a latchhook project at the store and I bought a crochet kit. The rest is history. After a ton of practice, some guidance from friends, and a ton of incomplete projects, I became the artist I am now. I’m still learning new techniques. As old as it is, crochet is still a developing artform. There is so much room for creativity and growth. I’m honored to help people step into their creativity. 

I explored crochet as a form of activism during 2022 DC Emancipation Day by crocheting myself into a red, white, and blue cocoon representing the binding nature of taxation without representation. In February, I launched the “Chocolate City Wishing Tree.” Imagined as a cherry blossom tree for DC natives and residents, the Wishing Tree is “yarn-bombed” in the colors of the DC flag, with red, black, and green roots. Those who engage are invited to write their wishes for DC residents while I crochet a cherry blossom for each wish and attach them to the tree. 

What was the genesis of Spinning a Yarn?

We started Spinning A Yarn with a few goals: To follow the interest and energy from the February Hands-On with Crochet workshop at Phillips@ THEARC; to offer crochet as a catalyst to conversation and gathering for the Congress Heights/Douglas neighborhoods; and to celebrate works in The Phillips Collection while creating new works from their inspiration.

What can attendees expect?

Attendees can look forward to: light refreshments, materials for beginners provided by The Phillips Collection including crochet hooks and yarn colors inspired by artwork. I create a piece inspired by the artwork we will be exploring. In what we have dubbed “ekphrastic crochet,” after a brief lesson on the artist and artwork that has inspired this month’s materials, I present my creation and discuss the connections. Expect the camaraderie of fiber artists of varying levels sharing space, ideas, and tips and learning an artform that you can take with you and continue to explore.

Can you talk about the artwork selection process, and how you have used the artwork to inspire your crochet work? 

I love art in many forms, so choosing pieces as inspiration for crochet was quite challenging. I chose pieces that have interesting lines and shapes, dynamic color choices, and challenges that push me as a creative, while remaining simple enough that a beginner can learn within those restraints. 

Rockne Krebs, No Land: the angle, the colors, Immediately I wanted to work those into something wearable. Granny Squares seemed like the perfect vessel for this lesson. 

Sean Scully, Red and Red: The idea of working on separate wood panels and attaching them informed my decision to work from 3 different yarn panels and braid them together to make this scarf.

The September work is Pablo Picasso’s Reclining Figure. I chose it because of its use of color and pattern. For making the abstract take form. I’m leaning toward making a bucket hat and using those pinks, greens, and lilac to mirror the abstract, yet formed nature of the work. 

Join us each month (usually on the first Wednesdays) at Phillips@THEARC to spin some yarn!

About Dwayne Lawson-Brown

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Dwayne Lawson-Brown, aka the Crochet Kingpin, is an author, playwright, and arts administrator for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Dwayne has performed and hosted at many venues including The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Keegan Theater, The Strathmore, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Spit Dat DC. Crowned 2021 DMV “Male Poet Of The Year,” ultimately, Dwayne’s goal is to invite folks to feel again. As a fiber artist, Dwayne has vended at many events and hosted workshops for esteemed entities including the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum and Words, Beats, and Life.