Equipped with Joy and Innumerable Glass Beads, Demond Melancon Stitches Reverential Portraits
A member of the Young Seminole Hunters, Big Chief Demond Melancon leads Black masking traditions in his native New Orleans, spending countless hours stitching small glass beads and feathers into elaborate suits to be worn during Mardi Gras. The labor-intensive garments are just one part of Melancon’s practice (previously), though. He transfers the intricate beadwork to smaller portraits honoring cultural icons, political figures, and those who’ve made a profound impact personally and collectively. More
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