Auckland Art Fair
Ivan Anthony Gallery Stand (D9)
23-27 May 2018

I am presenting a series of unique quilts made in collaboration with my mother, Cynthia Johnson at the Ivan Anthony Gallery stand of the Auckland Art Fair. I will also be giving a public talk at the Ivan Anthony stand with curator Serena Bentley on 24 May at 2:30pm.

“For the Fair, Jess will present her arcane, hand-drawn compositions in an entirely new medium for the first time. The focus of the stand will be several unique quilts made in collaboration with her mother Cynthia Johnson, herself an accomplished quilt-maker. Growing up, Jess was influenced by her mother’s textile arrangements, by observing the processes of dying, cutting, arranging, and piecing together material. This influence can be seen in Jess’s contemporary drawing practice today, which features repetitive geometries, elaborate borders, use of templates, and an affinity with traditional crafts and draughtsmanship. For their collaborative quilts, Jess’s hand-drawn compositions were digitally printed onto bolts of cloth, then turned into quilts with embellished pieced borders by Cynthia.” Ivan Anthony Press Release, 2018