44" x 52"
Machine-quilted hand-stitched binding 100% cotton 2023
@gezelligstudiocanada
A writer by trade, Kristy Woudstra stumbled into the quilting world about five years ago. She loves to express her thoughts and emotions through geometric shapes, bold colours and straight-line quilting. As the daughter of very practical Dutch immigrants, she is drawn to the functionality of this art form. To Kristy, the centuries of people (usually women) stitching together scraps of fabric to bring their families comfort is both inspiring and humbling. She lives and works in the beautiful, downtown east-side of Hamilton, Ontario.
THE STORY:
Kristy created this series of quilts to process the duality of place, time and roles she is experiencing in her middle years.
As a second-generation Canadian, she doesn't speak the language of her parents (Dutch) but feels a deep understanding of the country her parents were born in. That affinity to the Netherlands, however, has made her feel disconnected to the country her parents chose to settle in.
Can you ever find belonging in a country you've never lived in? By connecting to your family's past can you at least better understand your present and how you want to define your future? And how do the stories we tell impact our connection to the world around us?
She finds these questions also relate to her experiences as a mother of adult kids, daughter of aging parents and a middle-aged woman in a society that values youth.
*Please note: Purchased works are available for pickup on Sat. Oct 5th from 12-3pm, otherwise, arrangements will be made between collectors and buyers directly following the Art Circuit.