Artist: Amy Ahlstrom

Title: Used to #2

Medium: Silk and cotton quilt

Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 1.5 in

I am a textile artist creating modern, conceptual pop-art quilts. The common thread in my quilts is often text; I utilize words to convey meaning and as visual elements. My background as a graphic designer and illustrator informs my process; I design my work digitally, then make patterns and cut images to create appliquéd quilts. They are fused together and quilted using hand-guided machine quilting; I "draw" on the quilt with thread, guiding the quilt under the needle. This quilt, Used To #2, was created in the fall of 2019. It is about my experience living with chronic anxiety and episodic depression; it is a self-portrait that is slowly fragmenting. I made this quilt when my depression returned, inspired by the song "Used To" by the band Wire; "Does the pain remain when the head is turned/And the body walks away?/You used to know". With this quilt I hope to convey the feelings of disembodiment and detachment that can occur during my depressive episodes. Since 2019, I have been creating quilts that honestly address mental health while celebrating creativity and resilience. I am designing visual representations of my personal experience with anxiety and depression in hopes that viewers with mental health conditions feel seen, and to create a space in which mental health can be discussed openly, free from stigma and judgement.