Aleathia Manigault

Member since:

Medium: Basketry

Beginning at the age of six, Aleathia learned the art of sweetgrass basketry from her grandmother Herline Coakley in Mt. Pleasant. She has passed the art form down to her children and grandchildren. The unique shapes and styles make her work a true art form based on the basketry tradition brought to America by slaves from Sierra Leone on the West Coast of Africa.

Manigault is known for her woven hats which have the flavor of traditional headgear as well as modern styles. Reaching beyond the basic basket forms, she creates handbags and jewelry along with household items such as lamps and utility baskets using age-old stitching techniques. She uses sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needles sewn together into rows using palmetto fronds for binding.

Her prize-winning baskets are in collections including the City of Charleston Mayor’s Purchase award from the 1991 Moja Festival. She has also been the recipient of awards at Drayton Hall Arts and Crafts Festival and the 1993 Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Show.

“Sweetgrass basketry is part of my soul. In spite of recent health obstacles, sewing baskets is an activity that gives me strength and comfort. It connects me with my family; it gives me the opportunity to express my own styles.”