Anna Schmidt

I am a quilter and fibre artist living and working in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. In the words of Georgia O’Keefe, “I found that I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way.” Quiltmaking is for me an improvisational and expressive craft. I would rather be inspired by materials on hand than go in search of the perfect piece of fabric, and am committed to sustainability through the extensive use of second-hand and repurposed materials. I am also keen to make quilting accessible to as many people as possible. My quilts explore juxtapositions between straight lines and organic shapes, and between traditional and more free-form design. An example is the way hexagons—a traditional quilt element—appears in my work in ways that evoke its place in nature. Other common motifs are rivers and spiraling trails of stitching, and themes related to identity and illness.