Strong lines and simple, graphic shapes characterize Hadiya Williams’ new fabric and wallpaper collection for Schumacher. Inspired by West African themes, her motifs utilize tools she honed over years designing stationery. “A lot of my Schumacher patterns were conceived using hand-cut paper,” she says.

Williams, a DC native, founded Black Pepper Paperie Co., in 2017. The mixed-media, art-and-design studio sells handcrafted ceramics, paper goods, jewelry and apparel. Pieces by Williams reflect “the history, memory, culture and ritual of the African diaspora,” she notes. They also illustrate her versatility as an artist who has moved with ease from graphic design to ceramics and now textiles. “I’ve gone to what draws me,” she muses. H&D caught up with Williams to discuss the new line.

What has most influenced your work?
I grew up during the Black Power movement in the ’70s, with heavy West African cultural influences like Black art, music and textiles at home; Hadiya is a Swahili name. The shapes and lines of Kuba cloth and mud cloth were influences even before I discovered that my lineage goes back to the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon. I think Black people feel a need to remember and connect; my artwork is how I do that.

How did the Schumacher collaboration evolve?
With the increased activism of 2020, there was a drive to support Black creatives and businesses. Schumacher reached out. I think they wanted a fresh perspective. I was the first Black woman collaborator they’d worked with. It was a great learning experience—I had never designed with fabric before. We had lots of back and forth, with me creating and then narrowing down.

What attracts you to home décor?
Black people in the U.S. have felt a need to find home from the beginning. The Great Migration was largely about looking for a safe place to live and be at peace. For me, creating is based on wayfinding—searching for grounding and making a place that feels like home.

What’s next for you?
I really want to learn to design tile. And I’d like to try designing rugs. But I’ll work with paper, paint—any medium in order to create.