QUILT INDEX RECORD
12-8-6621
Who documented this quilt?
Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; South Africa Quilt History Project; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Michigan State University Museum
Michigan Quilt Project Number:
15.0191
If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:
2015:18.2
Object label:
Intuthuko Embroidery Group artists with Hester Viles
Catalyst for Change
Etwatwa and Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | Hand dyed threads on 100% South African cotton fabric and edged with traditional Shweshwe fabric; embroidered, pieced
Artists who have had the privilege to study art on a formal level can work with informal artists to empower them to take social, ecological, and economic control of their environment. Such collaboration activates strategies that extend beyond visual narratives and aesthetic pleasure and is instrumental in generating a sense of achievement and a shared belonging and trust in the community.
Twenty-three informally trained women artists of the Intuthuko Embroiderers created the individual embroidered pieces; artist Hester Viles combined the pieces into a complete quilt. The value of this embroidery project is found in its inclusiveness that creates a dialogue and echoes the co-operative spirit between Nelson Mandela and Willem de Klerk. This is an expression of the traditional meaning of ubuntu, an African word that transcends any written definition and is best expressed as "I am a person because of other people". The collaboration between these two leaders is regarded all over the world as a catalyst for dramatic social and political change in South Africa and is echoed by the interchange between these artists from diverse backgrounds.
Quilt's title:
Catalyst for Change
Subject of the quilt:
Nelson Mandela
Who helped you fill out the form?
Hester Viles
When was the form filled out?
6/25/2015
Quilted by:
Viles, Hester
Name of the group that made the quilt:
Intuthuko Embroidery Group artists with Hester Viles
Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:
Museum employee
Where the quilt was made, city:
Etwatwa and Johannesburg
Where the quilt was made, province:
Gauteng
Where the quilt was made, country:
South Africa
Time period:
2000-2025
When was the quilt finished?
2014
Why was the quilt made?
Art or personal expression; Commemorative
Quilt is presently used as:
Museum collection
Quiltmaker's gender:
Group
This is a:
Finished quilt
How wide is the quilt?
29 3/4"
How long is the quilt?
30"
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Straight
What color is the quilt?
Beige or Tan; Black; Gold
Quilt's condition:
Excellent/like new
Describe the quilt's layout:
Nontraditional or art
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand dyed threads on 100% South African cotton fabric and edged with traditional Shweshwe fabric.
Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:
Embroidery
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Original to maker
Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:
"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The International Quilt Conference Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014. "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", The Kentucky Museum at Wester Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, September 8, 2015 - January 31, 2016 "Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela", National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, OH, April 7 - October 7, 2016.
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
"Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela," exhibit catalog, Marsha MacDowell and Carolyn Mazloomi, Michigan State University Museum, 2014, page 24.
Quilt owner's name:
Michigan State University Museum
Quilt owner's city:
East Lansing
Quilt owner's county:
Ingham
Quilt owner's state:
Michigan (MI)
Quilt owner's country:
United States
How was this quilt acquired?
Purchase
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Who photographed this quilt?
Pearl Yee Wong
Copyright holder:
Michigan State University Museum
Cite this Quilt
Viles, Heste. Catalyst for Change. 2014. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; South Africa Quilt History Project; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-6621. Accessed: 03/28/24
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Exhibit
Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Li...
Mazloomi, Carolyn; MacDowell, Marsha