Courtesy of the artist and Alison Jacques, London
Both abstract and figurative, Big Wheel is made up of concentric squares and circles in bright colours. Stella Mae Pettway is a member of the Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers, a group of women artists living in a remote African American community in Alabama. In Gee’s Bend, quilting techniques have been passed down through the generations, from grandmothers to mothers to daughters. The quilts’ asymmetrical patterns and use of symbols draw on traditional African and Native American textiles. They are often created from recycled clothes and serve a practical purpose as coverings on beds and sofas.