Today I am featuring another quilt from the Houston Quilt Festival. eQuilter was the sponsor of this gallery “Tales from Africa” featuring the work of Uzoma Anyanwu and his mentor Nike Okundaye.
I am focusing here on a collage quilt by Uzoma, quilted by Kaia Kessler.
This larger-than-life (72″ x 60″) portrait is titled “Ebony Thought” and is made with recycled fabric scraps of African prints.
Kaia is in Houston, and Uzoma resides in Nigeria, so this was truly an international collaboration.
Uzoma’s teacher and mentor Mama Nike is “a charismatic international artist of many parts, a philanthropist, and a Nigerian ambassador extraordinary. She is a great inspiration to everyone, young and old, and one of the greatest contributors to the development of the Nigerian arts in the 20th and 21st centuries” writes Bruce Onobrakpeya.
Kavita Chellaram also writes “Chief Nike has been a pioneer in African art to Nigeria and to the world. Her own achievements both as an artist and in the educational programs she has created, have been immense in championing women artists.”
Nike’s daughter Shayee Oluwaseyi Awoyomi came to the festival and was a colorful happy addition to the event, with her fabulous headdress, brilliant smile, and traditional African dress. She wore a different mind-blowing outfit each day and shared her famous mother’s work.
Many thanks to all the American quilters who collaborated on the quilts in this gallery!
Photos from this gallery, and other inspiring quilts from Houston are now up on my photo pages.
Sharing your love of fabric…
Luana and Paul
*The photo above “Ebony Thought” was taken by Luana Rubin at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. Collage frame features fabrics currently in stock at eQuilter.com
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Travel/Lecture Dates:
December 3-16 – Italy Textile & Costume Tour – Alpine Xmas Markets.
Jan 9 – Fraser Valley Modern Guild – Art & Activism Zoom Lecture
Jan 21 – Visions Museum Zoom Lecture
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival
