Don’t let the rhinestones fool you: The tapestries created by Jamaican artist Ebony G. Patterson deliver serious social commentary.

Brella Krew (pictured) spotlights the island’s dancehall culture. “[It’s] ironic that in a society so aggressively homophobic, men pluck their eyebrows to assert machismo,” Patterson says of the piece, part of her triptych Fambily.

“We don’t have a history of tapestries or even quilting that’s prevalent in black America,” says Patterson. “Our narratives are all oral.” Patterson's process doesn't begin with a tapestry, though, it starts with a camera. She starts with a modeling session with subjects such as those pictured above as she's "interested in how people compose themselves in relation to the camera.”After the shoot, photos are then sent to a commercial weaver who feeds the picture through a computerized loom. The result? A huge, intricate tapestry is born. 

See Patterson's work on view at Monique Meloche Gallery through January 4. moniquemeloche.com