Many pieces to make a whole

Edna J. Patterson-Petty's works function as testaments to the inventiveness of African-American culture. Photos provided to China Daily

Quilting is a uniquely American art form born from pragmatic use of old cloth. Chen Nan takes a close look at how this simple craft has evolved into stunning artwork.

In her decades-long career, African-American quilt artist Edna J. Patterson-Petty has never used patterns, photos or drawings.

"It's all in my head," says the 67-year-old artist from East St. Louis, Illinois. "My ideas come to me in dreams and from talking to people or listening to a favorite song. In essence, I draw ideas from my everyday existence."

Patterson-Petty's upcoming workshop at Beijing's Ullens Center for Contemporary Art is intended to be a cultural exchange. The artist will guide group discussions, encouraging people to jot down thoughts, words and shapes that come to mind when they think of themselves.

When she creates a new patchwork block, she simply tears up strips of cotton and folds the fabric. When she is making something for a client, she wants to hear their stories so she can get a feeling for what they really want. Then she marries her creativity with their stories to make an art quilt that is specifically for them.

"My art is more than art quilts. It is an emotional journey filled with pleasant memories," Patterson-Petty says.

Fascinated by fabrics since childhood, she started by helping her mother recycle their worn-out clothes for a bed quilt. Her mother taught her how to remove waistbands from skirts and pants and they had a jar for buttons and a bag for zippers.

She doesn't remember the first piece, but she remembers how creating it made her feel. "It makes me happy. It always allows me an outlet, a way of maneuvering through life," she says.

Her mother made quilts by hand because she didn't have a sewing machine. Patterson-Petty learned to sew by machine at high school and for a long time made her own clothes.

Her grandfather gave her first sewing machine, and she taught her mother how to use it.

It wasn't until she was a mother of four that she enrolled in art school and learned how to use dyes and paints.

"Though fabric is not my only medium, it's my first love," she laughs.