World-renowned quilt artist Danny Amazonas to give free lecture on April 20!

 

One of the most exciting (and colorful!) exhibits ever to be shown at the Texas Quilt Museum is “Walk on the Wild Side with Danny Amazonas.” These

15 large-size art quilts by the Taiwanese artist showcase his signature amazing freehand patchwork, an exacting process of fusing many-colored fragments.

Right: Danny Amazonas at his vertical design board

 

His work is unique and known for its bold hues and multi-faceted designs, and subjects in this exhibit include animals, people, and exotic shapes. Amazonas will be making a special appearance at the Museum to give a free lecture on Saturday, April 20, at 3 pm. Museum admission will be free beginning at 2 pm, and a reception will follow at 4 pm.

 

Amazonas also plans to discuss his overall creative process through the number and scope of his works on display. In this exclusive interview, he reflects on the exhibit and his career.

 

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Abyss (182” x 75”)

 

TQM: What can people expect from your lecture?

Amazonas: People often wonder how fabric can be rendered like painting? And what technique do I use to work so freely? I’ll try to explain and show them all those details in my PowerPoint. I’ll also answer questions from the audience.

 

TQM: A common thing I hear people say about your work is “I can’t believe that’s a quilt!” Do you like surprising people and challenging their expectations?

Amazonas: After a while, people tend to expect that, and they’ll ask what’s my next work is going to be. It’s quite a pressure, but I see it as the driving force behind my creativity.

 

TQM: Do you have a favorite animal or type of animal as a subject for your work?

Amazonas: Usually cats and dogs rather than wild beasts. In photo shoots, it’s easier under different lighting to catch their facial expressions and body language.

 

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Levitate (118” x 74”)

 

TQM: How did you first get interested, and then develop your mosaic technique?

Amazonas: I had done some oil painting in my younger days and started working with mosaic artworks many years ago. Later, I was fascinated with colorful fabric-created portrait mosaic. That evolved recently into Freehand Patchwork, working with color and shades of fabric. I realize that it’s almost impossible to achieve in painting, and yet I try to achieve whatever can be done in painting with fabric. That’s my goal.

 

TQM: What do you think visitors to the Museum will get from seeing so many of your quilts at once as opposed to just one?

Amazonas: In showing more quilts, people will understand how my artwork has developed through years of learning and finding new techniques. But most importantly, I think visitors want to see through my mind by observing the artworks to make that connection. I believe expressing the ideology and concept of artwork is essential to seek continuity of creating artworks, rather than just lingering around techniques.

 

TQM: Any other comments?

Amazonas: I realized working with fabric is far more complicated than painting technique wise. A fiber artist won’t be able to mix colors in a palette, but can collect an array of colors and shades of fabric in order to create a unique piece of art with full spectrum of colors. I love to cut fabric in large chunks to show the beauty of textile designs, and those designers should be praised and credited as well.

Right: Peonies II (67” x 58”)

 

Visitors will also get a chance to see two additional exhibits on display at the Museum: the antique quilt collection of Mary Kerr in “Southern Charm,” and “The Fabric of Memory,” which commemorates Japanese-American citizens imprisoned during World War II.

 

“Walk on the Wild Side with Danny Amazonas” is made possible through the support of the Taiwan Academy, The Ministry of Culture-Republic of China (Taiwan), and the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office/Houston. An educational monograph about the exhibit will also be available for purchase in the Museum gift shop.