Big Chief Demond Melancon is so devoted to making the elaborate, beaded suits he wears on Mardi Gras day that it once cost him his home. Melancon is part of New Orleans’ Black Masking tradition, also known as the Mardi Gras Indians, which dates to the 1800s and honors the community’s ancestors. One of his handmade suits stood more than 10 feet tall and weighed 120 pounds. It required a U-Haul to move around. It’s currently on display at the Venice Biennale in Italy, the world’s most prestigious art exhibition. Melancon told Bill Whitaker last April that he sews from 6 a.m. to midnight every day: “Without these beads I couldn’t breathe.” #neworleans #mardigras #mardigrasindians #beadwork #sewing