This textile was a commission for the Rockwood 10 community housing development in Gresham, Oregon. It was inspired by the theme of “tapestry,” a prompt reminiscent of quilts, weavings, and prints which are warm and welcoming, inspired by my heritage as well as the cultural diversity of the Gresham community, and storytelling.
My concept was specifically inspired by a Chinese quilt style, a bai jia bei, and the stories embedded in the imagery of the comforting textile. A bai jia bei, or “one hundred families quilt,” is based on traditional Chinese textiles which are intended to give spiritual protection to young children. While bai jia bei have their roots in traditional textiles, they are also a product of the contemporary tourist market, and as such they exist in this curious intersection of tradition and commercialism. My own bai jia bei is an heirloom from my grandmother, a fiercely proud, hardworking woman who fled China during the rise of the Communist party and established a life for herself in New Mexico. These quilts often feature spiders, snakes, centipedes, scorpions, and lizards, known as wu du, the five poisons in Chinese culture. The wu du are intended to keep bad spirits away, providing a protective element within a family environment.
I was inspired by bai jia bei as objects which have strong familial significance, reference the figurative and literal protective qualities of textiles, and communicate multiple visual interpretations. Such a depth of meaning can be embedded in these patterns. These plants symbolized in this pattern I selected for the ecosystems they thrive in; I built research into the illustrations by selecting plants native to South America such as the Mexican honeysuckle and the chocolate cosmos, as well as drawing on familiar plants such as the yucca from my childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and native Pacific Northwest plants which hold symbolic importance to me and the community who will be a part of Rockwood 10. The flowers depicted are intended to embed good wishes for the community who will be living with the fabric, to share my hopes for their happiness, protection, freedom, and creativity. The design also includes variations on the wu du of bai jia bei.
The color palette of the sketch maintains a consistent, warm aesthetic with colors selected to complement the fabric colors already in place for the upholstery. As a textile design that would sit - figuratively and literally - in relationship to upholstered furniture, it was important for the color palette to embrace the aesthetic of its neighbors and for the design as a whole to provide moments of surprise and visual contentment.
Photos by Kevin McConnell Photography.