Threading Thoughts – Patchwork Design by Canadian Artist Jessica Bell

It’s not often you see a material become elevated and displayed and presented in a new way. I think we are so used to artists sticking to the traditional fields of painting and sculpture that it’s quite difficult to think outside of the box and create work that’s both fluid and transcending in nature. These patchwork designs by Canadian artist Jessica Bell really intrigued me and made me realise the value of being flexible in both skillset and mindset.

With a background in both visual art and art history, Jessica Bell has been able to work on a number of different projects throughout her career and has taken a particular liking to patchwork design and how art can be integrated in to the field of patchwork design and vice versa. It’s interesting to note the art history background as the styles are uniquely abstract and at first sight do not seem like pieces of art that would find their way on to quilting or fabric. This could be why they are so intriguing, since these designs are so hard to reproduce by machine making them instantly recognisable as pieces of art.

These images here showcase some of her design thoughts and experimental ideas conveyed through quilting. I think it serves as an important reminder for us all to be more malleable in our thinking and work hard to create avenues out of the medium instead of staying boxed inside. I hope you will go on to Jessica’s website below, it’s interesting to scan through her portfolio and see her ideas conveyed through her material of choice.

jessicabell.ca

BECOME A PART OF OUR DESIGN JOURNEY

Special discounts on OEN Shops curated collection

• Exclusive behind-the-scenes content
• Early access to content from our OEN publication
• Deep dive into design concepts
• Curated guides to the worlds top art and design cities