Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Encircled with Friendship


by Lin Hsin-Chen

I received the 6 challenge when I was working with the “stories” that happened last year. By handling the details of each plan, I could have an in-depth view and absorption of those practical experiences. It also helped me to enhance and widen my vision of both private and public perspectives. It feels like I’m a university student learning for credits. Thanks to 2012.

Among the collation of gifts, many are fiber materials. They are a wide variety of fabrics that I’ve received from Sue Dennis, Mary Pal, Misik Kim and many other friends around the world. I decided to make them connected in my quilt. It’s a fresh thinking, and it made them a meaningful existence in my work. Making it for my 6 challenge is really an extraordinary thing.
I’m the kind of person who hates getting in troubles, so my daily life is very simple, and I follow plans and care every detail. It’s also my attitude in official business. When I was organizing TIQE2012 (Taiwan International Quilt Exhibition 2012), I had many chances to communicate with international artists by e-mails or face-to-face and exchange gifts. These working conversations and meetings always give my body and soul a sense of floating, because I want to take everything seriously and be highly concentrated. These conversations and meetings are just like a biological cell, which stores and expands my life memories and feelings. The cells are knowledgeable and often being stored in the dark for a while, but they are always ready to let me take them out any time and add new elements in. They are everlasting nuclei of life, which carrying the stories of my life.

Precious friendship comes from ordinary days. Delicate literal conversations and enthusiastic meetings with friends are the warmest life exchanges. Its extension is an invisible circle, like a ring. Such profound friendship is beyond distance and time, and connects us firmly.

While sewing this quilt, I made the seams visible, because real friendship needs not to care about outside appearances. I believe every stitch is heartfelt appreciation for year 2012 and every valuable learning experience.

In Chinese thinking, people believe that a circle is a fusion of ordinary and extraordinary things. I use circles to convey my feelings. Wish every letter and gift will be my eternal memory.

p.s. the size of this quilt is much bigger than the original request, because I want to put all the gifts and fabrics on it.
Technique: 100% hand pieced, hand quilted.






14 comments:

  1. What a wonderful concept, and so meaningful!

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    1. Thank you, and happy birthday to you!
      I also have many beautiful memories with you in 2012, for example, the color you dyed your hair!

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    1. Thank God I finally complete this quilt!
      I was in Europe 12 days before the deadline. I was so worried that I couldn't complete it on time (by hand).

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    1. Thank you. It's profound because everyone here is so knowledgeable!

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  5. Hsin-Chen, I love the stories you tell, the ideas you share in your work. Not only the visually, but the process is always so meaningful!

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    1. Thank you, Martha. It's truly a challenge for me, because the arranging of fabric and color was not easy. I'm surprised that I can complete it!

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  6. I love your metaphor of conversations as a cell, carrying stories and information. It's so true that deep friendships are formed during ordinary days. Just spending time talking to each other. Wonderful interpretation.

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    1. Thank you, Kate. It's very interesting to study "cells". It's my first time creating a piece like this. Thank God everything comes smoothly.

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  7. I am always amazed by your beautiful descriptions. They make me look at the ordinary with fresh eyes! The all encompassing circle or is it a cell holding all the memories via the fabrics and souvenir gifts? I see the background fabrics have a lot of words on them- is this carrying on the conversation?

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    1. Thank you Sue for the challenge. It gives me the opportunity to combine my work with “cell concept”, which I've been thinking for a long time. I wish to make a series of quilt like this.

      I’m happy you like it. Thank you! Yes, the words in the background mean conversation. The cells describe every detail in our daily life, such as knowledge, social activities…etc. Those cells all carry different stories in our lives. No matter how the stories are going on, they are the combination of ordinary things and become extraordinary.

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