Really good, yet really bad news!!!

I learned that one of the quilts I made has been juried into an important exhibit in Auburn, New York.  The exhibition is Quilts=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth Art Center, and it will be shown there from early October through the end of the year.  This is big and exciting news!  This is the first time I have entered work into this call for entry. Since it is a competitive exhibition, I am so honored to have work selected.

Which brings me to the really bad news.  The quilt, titled Fortitude, is one of the ugliest quilts I've ever made. It represents a victim of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Karol Kusmaul, Fortitude, 2022, 55" x 43"

 It is a portrait, made by collaging various photos and painted fabrics.  Here is the statement, and the materials and techniques used. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, and the TV news channels were showing video of the victims, I was deeply touched and disturbed.  We began getting reports of civilians, schools, hospitals, and blocks of apartments being targeted. Families were faced with the choice to flee or stay and be bombed.  This portrait of a victim was made with images of broken concrete, tire tracks, dead fish, piles of debris, a Halloween sign, rusted doors, and dried roses from a funeral. More than three years later, the battle and the horror continue.

Photo printed on cotton, photo transfer, acrylic paint, commercial and upcycled cotton fabrics, matt medium, embroidery thread on felt

Photo manipulation and transfer, painting, stenciling, collage, hand embroidery, machine piecing and quilting

Even though it is an ugly image, I am glad that it will get some attention and remind viewers of the continuing horrible assault on the people of Ukraine.