Artist Sonja Henderson’s latest sculpture is a way of reuniting the late Mamie Till-Mobley with her son. | ✍️ michmeyer12
is displayed at Argo Community High School, where Till-Mobley graduated.Sonja Henderson adorns herself in turquoise jewelry. When I met her at her studio recently, the color was drawn on in the inner corners of her eyes—her signature look—and turquoise fabric was laid upon chairs in her art studio. Turquoise is a color that can mean protection, hope, and tranquility.
The studio is filled with artwork from her previous exhibitions. Braided hair adorned with beads and jewels hang on the wall. An abstract painting covered in textured gold and turquoise paint hangs next to the hair. Stacks of antique silver plates are piled on the floor. In the center of the room is a table, covered in large painted posters created by members of Mothers Healing Circle, a group Henderson founded for women who lost their children to violence.
Till’s life is represented on the three sides of the podium. At the center is his boyhood; one side is a scene of the barn where he was murdered, and the third is the funeral scene. Despite Donham’s death making national headlines just two days before, she was never mentioned. Henderson said to me later that she has only one thing to say about her: “There is universal wisdom and divine timing in that her story is over.”
“When I got the Mamie Till commission, I was still grieving and processing the loss of, like, half of my family at one time,” Henderson says. “And so this was kind of my internal reasoning for wanting to reunite Mamie with her son because I’m watching my mother grieve the loss of her son, husband, and mother all within one month.”
During lockdown, Henderson didn’t stop. She provided computers for the mothers to continue meeting online. Journaling, yoga, and guided meditations were all part of her circle. Now, they are back to meeting weekly and creating cookbooks and murals of their late children.
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