Quilting in Color is a beaded art quilt that explores what a “quilt” truly is, and how embellishment can transform the surface of an heirloom object. Measuring 40 × 40 inches, the work examines the boundary between beauty and functionality: does a quilt remain a quilt when embellishment renders it impractical for use?

Rooted in a practice born of necessity, quilting carries a deep history shaped by the balance of utility and care. Quilting in Color juxtaposes this tradition with densely hand-embroidered beadwork that spills across the surface, disrupting its intended purpose. Though pieced, backed, and bound as a traditional quilt, the weight and accumulation of embellishment shifts the textile from functional object to artistic work.

Suspended between treasured object and contemporary artwork, Quilting in Color reimagines the traditional ties between function and ornament in quilting, inhabiting a space where utility gives way to adornment.