Meet Your Representative Keri Bas

I want my quilts to tell powerful stories. Quilting as activism is as old as quilting itself. Through fiber and thread and design, I strive to say something about the world we live in, the world we could shape in the future, and the way that the past informs the present.

I have been appreciating and creating art since I was a child, including going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston. I learned to sew with my mom, making dolls and doll clothes. Sewing became a serious pursuit in college when I began making costumes for dance and theater productions. I also studied traditional painting in oils, acrylics, and watercolors. I’ve learned through years of experimentation to combine my favorite aspects of painting with sewing and quilting. 

I make portraits, illustrations, and other representational images out of fabric, paint, and thread. Some techniques I’ve used include direct painting, printmaking, raw-edge appliqué, and foundation paper piecing. I also enjoy hand embroidery. I love creating dimensional pieces that break out of the traditional frame of the quilt. My work has been in museum and gallery shows and is in private collections.

I’ve gained new appreciation for and understanding of sewing and quilting since teaching it to primary and secondary school students. Incorporating technology into lessons for my students has expanded my own skill set, as well. From hand-sewn circuitry to the geometry of tessellations, it’s amazing how much science, technology, engineering, and math go into any given sewing project! 

When I’m not sewing, I enjoy leading workshops in creative arts, organizing meetups for writers and artists, and geeking out over comic books and movies. 

We Can Quilt It!

© Keri Bas 2017

72" x 24"