Jonathan Green

Purple Blanket is an exceptional example of Jonathan Green’s significant historical documentation of African-American life in southern Low Country culture. Born and raised in the sea islands of South Carolina, Green’s paintings have preserved for history the setbacks and struggles, triumphs and accomplishments of the black experience in America. 

Purple Blanket is one of the last paintings in Green’s important Quilt Series executed in 2007. This group of vibrant paintings depicting the southern tradition of quilt making by the Gullah people is a part of Green’s more than thirty-five year ongoing contribution to preserve a culture that continues to have a lasting influence on America today. 

In 2009, Green, along with internationally acclaimed African American artists Elizabeth Catlett and Sam Gilliam, was presented with the prestigious Key of Life Award at the 41st annual NAACP Image Awards. The award recognizes "artists whose work speaks to the ongoing crusade for human rights and social justice".