Opening Reception: May 22, 2019 at 7 PM – 10 PM | Open: May 22 - June 21, 2019
Faur Zsófi - Ráday Galéria | PANEL Contemporary
Opening remarks by Emma Nagy (cultural attaché, US Embassy in Hungary)
Curated and writing by Veronika Molnar
Hughmanick came upon the technique in her birthplace, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a region famous for its Amish communities and their skillful quilt-making tradition. Historically, these works record important family information, events and depict the surroundings of the physical world experienced by their makers. Hughmanick utilizes this craft history to ask how a search for personal identity through mysticism and hand making can compact a viewer’s notion of time.
In her pieces, organic forms appear in harmony with the grids of the patchworks, depicting hands with soft gestures, shells found in nature and elaborate ancient hairstyles. After examining the Roman ruins in Italy and Aquincum in Hungary, Hughmanick started to incorporate particular patterns and forms from these sites into her works, animating long-forgotten figures of the ancient Roman society. Hughmanick’s work is a nod to hand labor: just as workers built the legendary Colosseum brick by brick, she stitched the fabrics together piece by piece. Taking inspiration from buildings and structures that stood the test of time, her quilts reflect her urge to search for the roots of our (European and North-American) culture, observing humanity’s thirst to build, create and conquer. Her works have a comforting presence that - apart from the soft fabrics and pastel colors - comes from the elements that symbolize the longevity of our cultural heritage. Thus, even without wrapping them around us, Hughmanick’s quilts provide shelter from the anxieties and uncertainties of our time, from an economic, political and environmental perspective.
detail image of “Self Portrait (THE PRESENT)” textile
