Daena 2023

My story so far

I am a disabled quilt artist based in Rolleston, New Zealand. I am originally from Wellington and relocated to Canterbury seven years ago, I have spent the last few years finding my voice and working out how to use it. I spend much of my time day or night in my studio working on various fabric art projects.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 5 and autism when in my 30s after spending the majority of my life questioning why I didn't fit in and why things didn't make sense for me, quilting became a way for me to process thoughts and concepts that I couldn't otherwise put into words or just couldn't deal with quilting became my therapy and a way to calm my mind. I now use quilting and art quilting both as a way to deal with my disabilities and to create bridges between myself and my audience.

I started my creative journey doing arts and crafts at school and with my grandmother during school holidays. I did art through secondary school but did not pursue it through 16 years of raising a family of 3 (all of whom are also on the autism spectrum) and completing a Classics/Theatre degree part-time, the latter leading to dabbling in costuming for a year before finding my muse in quilting while needing to find a way to reduce my fabric stash.

Recently I have started to create a following with my “talking points” series featuring silhouettes, this started with a piece about epilepsy recently selected for the juried Houston International Quilt Festival. With this series I wanted to create art about things that affect people strongly and that I feel we as a society don't talk about enough. 

For inspiration, I draw from all manner of things that take root in my imagination. From light pollution to bushfires to a tree in the backyard, I like to create art that tells a story about something. I frequently use bright or intense colours or colours that have a meaning associated with the subject to help emphasise the story.  

 

Featured Works

When the Psyche fractures, it can be hard to repair and put oneself back together after trauma, I designed this piece to show what it feels like when you suffer from PTSD the pieces don't quite fit and some can be missing.

Hand-dyed fabrics, Metallic Threads, Bamboo batting, machine-stitched applique and couching

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A representation of what I go through when I have a major epileptic seizure. During my seizures, I am both terrified and unable to communicate what my brain is telling me in what I see and sense; i.e. that my entire universe is blowing up with explosions of light and colour. This is caused by a misfire or surge in the normal activity of the neuron cells in my brain. In the aftermath I will be crying, confused, exhausted, headachy and just want to hide from the world.

Hand-dyed and painted fabrics (Mallee Textiles), Metallic Threads, Bamboo batting

Machine pieced and quilted with Applique

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Made for the 2024 SAQA Benefit Auction

Earlier in May the earth experienced one of the largest solar storms in recent history, which caused the southern lights to appear over the majority of New Zealand for most of a weekend. The southern lights are typically green and pink with some red and purple hues.

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