A LITTLE LESS INTIMATE
Zak Foster
2023
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Zak is a community-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions and repurposed fabrics. He practices an approach to design that is based in narrative and guided by intuition. He is especially drawn to preserving the stories of quilts and explores stories we tell ourselves about the past, present, and future in his work. His work has been featured on the red carpet of the Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as various magazines, websites, and galleries. His QUILTY NOOK community connects and inspires quilters and makers all over the world.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The present work emerges from a professional dialogue where another artist suggested he moderate the extent to which he shared about his personal life through his work. Fabricated utilizing repurposed cotton textile of personal significance, the work was executed in the immediate forty-eight hours after this exchange.
When I first told my partner’s grandma, the first quilter I ever knew, that I was interested in learning how to quilt, she grabbed my arm, gave me a serious look, and said, “Buddy, you don’t know how much fun you’re gonna have.”
And it’s true, I’ve been having a blast ever since. I’ve been quilting since 2010, and it’s been life-changing. What interests me most about quilting is not only that intersection between art and utility, but also how quilts can be comfortable messengers for uncomfortable truths.
I make quilts and textile pieces from repurposed materials. My work is largely hand-sewn, and I find that pace allows me to tap into the immediate history embodied in the fabric and helps hone my skills for reaching further back into history to do work like Southern White Amnesia.
My work both preserves and stretches traditional techniques. I love raw-edge applique. It has a nostalgic connection to the country-themed decor of my childhood, and it also allows me to treat fabric in a more painterly way. I intentionally vary the length and density of my hand-stitches. I leave knots exposed. You can see where I start and stop. All of that shares the process, empowering others to make their own work.
My biggest quilting influences have been the women working in what we now call improv quilting: Irene Williams for her play and wit with fabric and Sarah Mary Taylor for her use of color and text. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the quilters I co-create with, quilters like Heidi Parkes and Amanda Nadig.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
Repurposed materials and the shirt the artist was wearing at the time of the exchange.
Quilting.