Jo Coombes shares her highlights from the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, in August 2024, with a particular focus on art textiles. The Festival this year really exhibited the best of modern and traditional quilting. This is a tiny personal snapshot of that excellence.
This year there was no ‘Fine Art Masters’ category, but talented creative work abounded in some of the galleries and in lectures of featured artists at the show.
The modern British quilter Sarah Hibbert teamed up with an artist and professional designer from South Korea, Jaeyoung Eom. The pair have conversed for many years on social media, sharing their passions for textiles and design. Finally, they have met to create their unique gallery ‘The Space Between’ – a reference to the 8,854km which separates them, but also the art which draws them together. Jo loved the juxtaposition of the artists’ quilts which gave the gallery a strong purpose and cohesion. Both quilters have underpinned their work with impressive design. Jaeyoung combines hand dyed and printed fabric very cleverly with commercial textiles, whilst Sarah uses her signature linens and hand quilting to create beautiful quilts.
Cecilia by Sarah Hibbert
Serendipity 111 by Sarah Hibbert
Overhang by Jaeyoung Eom
Gang by Jaeyoung Eom
Garden (detail) by Jaeyoung Eom
Pam Holland, a much respected and versatile quilter with 30 years’ experience of teaching and travel, gave a highly engaging talk on her life and on textile portraits. Her examples were simply jaw-dropping and she generously gave tips on how to achieve some of the magical effects she creates.
A standout gallery for Jo was the ‘Christine Chester – A Retrospective’. It was a fitting celebration of this much loved and admired textile artist’s work from 1960 – 2023. Christine was passionate about her teaching and communication through her work, and rigorous in both her critical thinking and technique. Winning many awards, co- founding ‘Unfold’ textile group and championing women’s issues, Christine is undoubtedly a huge loss to the textile community. The gallery had been curated beautifully and allowed some quiet reflective moments in a busy Festival.
‘Standing on Shoulders of Giants ,2019
Disappearing (Alice), 2019
Fading 11, 2019
Temari balls, 2022-23
Coastal Diaries, 2016
Layers of Memory, 2013
Judith e Martin, a Canadian artist who has hand stitched quilts for over 40 years, brought a solo gallery full of wonderful stitched narrative artwork. This reflected her interest in touch, vulnerability and the relentless passage of time. Soft hangings, depicting cosmic and dream circles were embroidered and embellished with silky threads which catch the light as they gently sway in the breeze. Judith sources old linens, Indian cottons and silks, and had collected an array of stunning old lace doilies to give them new life.
The SAQA gallery “Global Exhibition – Steam Punk’ was inspired by science fiction and unique creations to explore alternate timelines, sentient beasts, and bodies merged with technology. It was very colourful and playful, attracting a lot of attention.
Minerva, Steam Punk Warrior by Kate Crossley
Road Trip by Libby Williamson
Jo’s favourite quilt this year was ‘Introspeccion’ by Isabel Muñoz. The calm simple fabrics, textures and quilting perfectly mirrored the scene Isabel portrayed.
