Maya Sanbar’s Quilt Patch
A joyful community-led art project comes to The Chelsea Theatre
A highlight at this year’s Kensington + Chelsea Art Week, Maya Sanber’s Quilt Patch is an installation made of recycled fabrics in partnership with the World’s End Estate and The Chelsea Theatre as an innovative celebration of human expressions of happiness.
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Taking the form of happiness stories quilted onto flags, it will hang from the theatre’s exterior and surround the piazza through summer from 23 June 2022. Led by artist Maya Sanbar, and produced collaboratively in cross-generational sewing and storytelling workshops, all participants were asked to create designs based on the theme “What Does Happiness Mean to You?”.
From a bar of chocolate to holding hands, stories of joy are incorporated into individual quilt blocks that are used to create flags and make up the installation. Created using only recycled fabrics either sourced from sustainable material outlets or donated by local residents, these emotion flags remind us of the things that bring us joy, specific to individual identities and lived experiences.
Made for the community and by the community, this public art installation ties in individual stories of happiness, paying homage to the creativity, shared wisdom, unique identities, and resonant experiences of the participants involved. The workshops, which took place throughout the month of May, were held in various community hubs, such as elderly resident homes and primary and secondary schools, to ensure that as many people were represented in the installation. With the hope to bring the diverse World’s End community together and inspire creativity, this installation shares an array of voices through the power of artistic expression.
Quilt Patch is the story of recycled materials, fabrics from people’s cupboards and family history, quilted together to make a statement about personal identity within a community. It highlights how colour can shift the mood of the estate and the togetherness of creating in these cross generational workshops.
Maya Sanbar’s Quilt Patch is in partnership with the World’s End Estate and The Chelsea Theatre. Part of Kensington + Chelsea Art Week. From 23 June.
The Royal Borough of Kensington + Chelsea, London
www.kcaw.co.uk | @kcawlondon
