QUILT INDEX RECORD

31-27-196

Who documented this quilt?

South Africa Quilt History Project; Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela; The Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

South Africa Quilt History Project

South Africa Quilt History Project Number:

CHSLM329

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

When was the form filled out?

2014

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Sunshine and Shadow

How wide is the quilt?

30"

How long is the quilt?

30"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Predominate colors:

Black; Gray; White

Overall condition:

Excellent/like new

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

2014

Describe the quilt's layout:

Nontraditional or art

Subject of the quilt:

Nelson Mandela

Quilt top made by:

de Villiers, Celia

Quilted by:

de Villiers, Celia

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Consceince of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela; International Quilt Conference Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

MacDowell, Marsha; Mazloomi, Carolyn. Conscience of the Human Spirit: The Life of Nelson Mandela. Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, 2014; page 46.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Celia de Villiers

Quilt owner's country:

South Africa

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

South African

Quiltmaker's country:

South Africa

Description of quilt:

Celia de Villiers and Talking Beads
Sunshine and Shadow
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa | Fabric, beads; pieced, beaded

This metaphoric, collaborative work is based on a photograph of Nelson Mandela in the well-known series by Louise Gubb. The selected image was of his return visit in February 1994 to his Robben Island prison cell. In the Xhosa tribal tradition of Nelson Mandela, white beads represent a link to the deceased ancestors and black beads signify unity and strength. The poignant words beaded on this quilt were spoken by Nelson Mandela during deliberations on his long term of imprisonment. The selection of striped fabrics reference the shadows cast by the prison bars in his cell. They simultaneously evoke piano keys and the words of the song by the musicians Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder:
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?

This is precisely the spirit of the alliance between de Villiers and Talking Beads, a craft artists cooperative. In the quilt, visual language becomes a tool for the association of social and artistic contextual relationships.

Who photographed this quilt?

Dion Cuyler

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

The copyright belongs to the owner/artist.