1~4.8.2024 [The Festival of Quilts] NEC, Birmingham, UK
Duo exhibit of Sarah Hibbert & Jaeyoung Eom
Sarah Hibbert is a modern British quilter influenced as much by art and architecture as quilting heritage. Sarah loves the combination of old and new; of the traditional and contemporary. Working mainly in linen textural fabric, hand stitching, natural, rich tones and clever, but limited use of prints, she brings her quilts into the modern vibe of design to create a conversation between the fabrics. Her Reflections quilt was acquired by The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles in 2019 for their permanent collection to represent modern quilting. Sarah has also had two of her recent quilts acquired by The International Quilt Museum in Nebraska in 2023.
Jaeyoung Eom is a Korean quilter who majored in industrial design. Jaeyoung was a pathfinder in machine quilting, which made her play important roles when several institutions were established. Among them, Corea Quilt Associates and Art Quilt Community. Jaeyoung is extremely skilled at contemporary design. She enjoys making her own fabrics, using every kind of craft technique such as stamping, hand-dying, collage, and printing, then juxtaposes those pieces with commercial fabrics to create unique and unexpected effects in her quilt.
This is a story of two quilters, who live apart and never met in person. But the distance between them of more than 5,000 miles has not hindered their love of creativity and mutual respect for each other’s craft. Therefore, the story is written in their joined language within shapes and colours.
The narrative beginned with a serendipitous encounter at Birmingham 2022, where Sarah's quilt caught my eyes, and the similarities with Jaeyoung's work were immediately recognized. This connection, rooted in the subtle nuances of fabric choice, color palette, and pattern design, prompted the suggestion of a joint exhibition. Sarah, already an admirer of Jaeyoung's work through social media, eagerly accepted the proposal.
For a long time, many artists have been captivated by the traditional mechanism of storytelling, which boldly omits the mundane and trivial while emphasizing dramatic and intriguing elements. However, in today’s information age, the art of storytelling has been overshadowed by the rapid sharing of intuitive photos, funny emojis, and 'likes'. What Sarah discovered in Jaeyoung’s quilts were the hidden stories and contexts within the negative spaces—something also present in her own work. These quilts, with whimsical elements like red dots or short lines, captured what is often overlooked in a world focused on instant gratification and sensationalism.
However, the journey toward the exhibition was not without challenges. Jaeyoung, grappling with health issues, was initially hesitant to commit to such a significant project, especially one involving an international collaboration she had never expected before. The uncertainty and pressure weighed heavily on her, leading to a cautious approach.
Despite these challenges, the exhibition was set for 2024, leaving little time for hesitation. I was tasked with curating the exhibition, and I soon discovered the complexities of aligning the two quilters' works. At first, the project started because their work looked very similar, but as the preparation for the exhibition progressed, the differences began to stand out. Jaeyoung's intricate, improvisational designs contrasted sharply against Sarah's bold, minimalist pieces. Even the color palettes, which initially seemed almost same, diverged upon closer inspection.
Faced with these differences, I focused on the size and motifs of the quilts as unifying elements. For example, two quilts, Johnson (right) by Sarah and Gang (left) by Jaeyoung, were chosen for display on the gallery's external wall. Although the quilts appeared dissimilar at first glance, their identical size and shared cross motif created a visual harmony when displayed together, inviting viewers to explore more both the commonalities and differences.
This juxtaposition became a talking point for visitors, who noted how the quilts "complemented" each other, suggesting that the display was a success. The shared narrative between the quilts mirrored the storyteller's initial observation—a story with recurring themes and unexpected pauses, much like the quilts themselves.
A central feature of the exhibition was what Sarah referred to as a design wall. I wanted this wall to represent the quilters' digital interactions on social media, where they first connected, shared ideas, and found inspiration. The wall was a chaotic yet meaningful collage of unfinished projects, fabric swatches, and ideas in progress—much like the creative process itself. The design wall served as a reminder of the many projects that never made it to the exhibition stage, but are nonetheless a vital part of the creative process. It also symbolized the hope that someday, the gap between quilters and their inspirations might be bridged in new and unexpected ways, by continuously sifting through and organizing the 'chaos' in their minds, many visitors could eventually produce an exhibition-worthy result.
Many quilters who gather at exhibitions are familiar with each other's styles through online interactions, but from a traditional perspective, most of them cannot say they truly 'know' one another. The exhibition is where such people come together at once, and one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many interactions happen. Online platforms allow for following, commenting, exchanging emojis, and even engaging in commerce. However, I wanted to suggest that the moment we muster just a bit of courage to propose, 'How about holding an exhibition together?'—that action can trigger reactions, creating countless chain reactions that leads to a remarkable exhibition in the real world. It's the first step towards making that transformation happen.
This exhibition was a valuable opportunity for the curator, as it not only showcased exquisite quilts but also demonstrated effects unseen in separate displays and delivered a message to the audience. It would be a great honour if a visitor started to think about organizing such an exhibition with someone they hadn’t met, and gave it a try.
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