Quilts normally evoke feelings of warmth and comfort but an exhibition of quilts showing at Rotorua's arts village has a "noisy" message.
The noisy quilts speak out against family violence and violence against women, part of a joint project by the Human Rights Commission and Waikato University's School of Education.
"Although we
often think of quilts in terms of comfort and warmth, in reality they have many roles," explains Waikato University associate professor Joyce Stalker. "Often they are used to celebrate, commemorate or heal."
The exhibition, which opens at the Rotorua Arts Village Experience (RAVE) on Friday, runs until August 11. It was created in response to statistics revealing the extent of domestic violence in New Zealand.
Nineteen quilts were created as part of an international challenge at the New Zealand Quilt Symposium held in Manawatu in January.
The quilts are now on tour around the country and unlike their more traditional counterparts, their size, dimensions, the techniques and materials used, were judged in terms of their ability to enhance the impact of the statement they were making.
As a result, some challenge what many people may assume about quilts and the exhibition features a diverse range of images and symbolism.
The winning quilts were After the Party, created by Helen Pedersen and Janice Dowdeswell and Incest, by Cecily Gordon, Margaret Perowne, Megan Cooper and Kay Lamport.
The two creations were deemed by Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan to "truly bring home how a traditional domestic art can become a powerful medium for the important message that to be free from violence is a human right we should all cherish".
