Inspired by and responding to the work of two Black female historians, Nell Irvin Painter’s Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol and Margaret Washington’s Sojourner Truth’s America, artist and metalsmith Shani Richards retraces the steps of Sojourner Truth to explore her life and legacy in the context of contemporary Black experience in America. Through extensive research of historical documents and the material culture of Truth’s time, Richards delves into the agriculture, fashions, religious artifacts, and craft objects that Truth would have known and used.

Richards creates pieces such as pendants, brooches, and crowns, aiming to capture the spirit of Truth’s life and work. Approaching her research from multiple perspectives, Richards immerses herself in Truth’s world, much like a method actor, by recreating and engaging in the daily tasks and labors Truth performed while enslaved in New York State.