Collection Spotlight: Chawne Kimber: by Claudia Volpe

Dr. Chawne Kimber is a mathematician, wordsmith, and quilter who we’ve been fortunate to get to know during her tenure as head of the mathematics department at Lafayette College.

Kimber comes from a family of cotton farmers and quilters from Alabama, and we can see the influences of the Gee’s Bend quilts in her work. Her most recent, award-winning pieces are provocative, text-based quilts that have garnered national attention for her reflections on living through tense political moments as a Black woman. These are exceptional quilts that we encourage you to explore on her website and Instagram.

When deciding on which quilt to purchase for the collection, we fell in love with “First Freedom (Snuggleshott),” an abstract, improvisational work that highlights her strengths as a master quilter, her unique rhythmic and mathematical sensibilities in quilting, and her artistry in the compositions and color relationships of her pieces. In addition to activism in her work, Chawne Kimber’s pieces make us reconsider the art world’s dated distinctions between “craft” and “high art” in relation to quilts and textiles.

You can follow Chawne on Instagram as @cauchycomplete or via her website and blog: cauchycomplete.wordpress.com/