Chaos in the City | Created by Maureen O. Johnson from Lakeville, MN.

Chaos in the City

Created by:

Maureen O. Johnson from Lakeville, MN

Exhibit:

Racism: In the Face of Hate We Resist

Artist Statement:

We are in chaos; from the murder of George Floyd, protests, riots, Covid-19, police brutality, systematic racism, gun violence, food lines, and the list goes on. With all this in mind, I felt a crazy quilt was the most appropriate design.

My quilt has three focus points.

The bottom square represents feelings that people were having in reaction to George Floyd’s murder. The circle stitching indicates the chaos that was happening, kind of like a tornado with everything jumbled up.

The middle square represents a slightly calmer time with peaceful protests, and the general public’s growing awareness about what is really happening to people of color.

The top is my square of hope and love. It represents more awareness and support from the community. Without these, we won’t succeed.

Love is represented in all three squares, but it grows as we, as a society, make the necessary changes to end systemic racism.

2020
42" x 17"
Cotton fabric and batt, embroidery threads; hand embroidered; machine pieced and quilted.