Christine Hager-Braun, Fiber
When I was a child my grandmother taught me crochet, all sorts of needlework and sewing on a treadle sewing machine. However, I was only exposed to quilting after I moved to the US in 1999. In the summer of 2002, I made my first quilt following a pattern from a book for my grandmother on the occasion of her 87th birthday. This piece was a valuable lesson for me to realize that I did not enjoy making repetitive blocks.
My next quilt was already based on my own ideas. Feeling comfortable with straight seams, I assembled the center from 400 little squares. Over the years my skills developed: curved seams were added, strict geometric patterns were supplemented with free-form cuts. Besides having a stash of commercially available fabrics I started dyeing and painting my own fabrics. I just love the malleability of the various fabrics such as cotton, silk, bamboo and organza. I enjoy hand-embroidery and embellishing my art quilts and fabric book-covers with glass beads and other materials.
My contemporary abstract art quilts and fabric compositions often explore interactions amongst individuals, communities and between humans and their environment. In addition, I find inspiration in nature. With an MS in biology and a PhD in biochemistry I am exposed to the beauty of nature on a macromolecular scale as well as the intriguing interactions of molecules on a cellular level.
My fiber art is shown locally at the Chatham Arts Gallery in Pittsboro, the Bull City Art and Frame Gallery in Durham, and in national exhibitions.
