Aminah's work, often produced in ongoing series, details a journey through history that begins in Africa hundreds of years ago and continues today. It is journey that confronts struggle, oppression, and despair and that also celebrates joy, freedom, and hope for the future. Through her work, Aminah has given new life to communities that no longer exist and has assured the legacy of existing communities.
Aminah's artistic vocabulary consists of a combination of the skills she learned in art school and those passed down to her by her family. Her father taught her to make hogmawg, her word for a sculptural material used in both two- and three-dimensional work.The button and needle work she learned from her mother are evident in her rag paintings and RagGonNons, her word for complex works of art that can come in many forms but often include buttons, men's neckties, and other found objects. Click on each type of work pictured above to see the materials and processes she uses and to hear her describe them.