QUILT INDEX RECORD

31-27-199

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:

CHSLM341

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

When was the form filled out?

2014

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Education

How wide is the quilt?

30"

How long is the quilt?

30"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Predominate colors:

Gold; Green; Red

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

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton; Wool

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Hessian

Embellishment techniques:

Embroidery; Painting

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand embroidered, machine embroidered, appliqued

How is the binding made?

Separate binding applied

How are the layers held together?

Machine quilting

Quilt top made by:

Viljoen, Enid

Quilted by:

Viljoen, Enid

Where the quilt was made, city:

Gauteng

Where the quilt was made, province:

Kwa-Zulu Natal

Where the quilt was made, country:

South Africa

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?

Original to maker

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 97.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Enid Viljoen

Quilt owner's city:

Gauteng

Quilt owner's province:

Kwa-Zulu Natal

Quilt owner's country:

South Africa

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

8/6/1965

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

South African

Quiltmaker's occupation:

quilter/'artist

Quiltmaker's city:

Gauteng

Quiltmaker's province:

Kwa-Zulu Natal

Quiltmaker's country:

South Africa

Description of quilt:

Enid Viljoen
Education
Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | Cotton, wool, Hessian, paint; hand embroidered, machine embroidered, machine quilted

I start making this quilt in October 2013 when Madiba, an important figure in our history, was already sick and near death. It was with my compassion for him and his family in mind that I constructed this quilt.

I have used the most powerful quote and put it on a blackboard with Madiba teaching us word for word what he believed and strove for: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

I hope to help share this wisdom with the rest of the world.

Essay:

I am an full time art quilter and fibre artist. My first quilt memory was when we were staying in Lesotho. The ladies there started a mystery quilt and I thought it was silly to cut fabric in small blocks and sew them together again. That was before I got hooked. I was about 37 years when I start quilting and my first teacher was Ashley Whitehead Germani and her mother Beatris. They went through a lot of trouble in supplying us with fabric and batting. She taught me conservative quilting and rules.

I am currently a member of the Jacaranda quilters group in Centurion. Depending on the projects I am working on, I sew between 3 to 4 days per week. My most important tool is my sewing machine and threads. Because I am an art quilter I like to experiment with different techniques. If I have to choose one it would be prairie points in a modern way. Because I don’t work from a pattern I never know how my final quilt will look. I start with a basic painted surface which I fill with colours and textures I like. It usually changes a lot as I remember different fabrics in my stash and if you change one fabric or colour everything after that also changes. That’s what I LOVE about what I DO.

My family are my biggest fans. They support and encourage me and are always available to help with exhibitions.

I see quilting as art. I have learned that art is an effective remedy for mental health. It is an expressive medium and helps me with communication, stress and in learning different aspects of my own personality. I think colour and composition are the most important specs of an art quilt. Originality makes an artistic quilt powerful. A great quilt maker is someone who can break all quilting rules and ends up with a master piece.

At the moment I am drawn to the work of Roy Starke who is also my mentor. A quilt tell a story through narratives. Therefore people can get a glimpse of the artist soul and circumstances. People can then see how the artist handles his issues and learns from them or just enjoys what they are seeing and forgets about anything else. It will give them a new perspective on things.

Who photographed this quilt?

Dion Cuyler

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

The copyright belongs to the owner/artist.