Man-Made

Man-Made: Contemporary Male Quilters examines the unique aesthetics and techniques that men bring to a craft long-associated with feminine arts and labor. With backgrounds in contemporary visual art, media and fashion, the eight artists featured in the exhibition have been identified as leading makers whose quilts act as non-functional art pieces.

Though quilting is culturally viewed as “women’s work,” men have participated in quilting since the early 1800s in both professional and domestic capacity. The art quilt movement developed in the 1980s as a practice akin to painting, led by professional artists rather than domestic makers.

The eight exhibiting artists are Joe Cunningham, Luke Haynes, Jimmy McBride, Aaron McIntosh, Joel Otterson, Dan Olfe, Shawn Quinlan and Ben Venom. These artists are part of a loosely-knit, growing community of male quilters whose quilts utilize striking imagery and compositions to navigate their interests and concerns. Though there are innumerable male quilters nationwide, these artists were selected as significant contributors to the evolution of the quilting medium through their unique training and experiences in visual, media and design arts.

This exhibition is organized by The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) in Los Angeles.