paid for pain, 2022

paid for pain / 2022 / lauren austin

hand-dyed, printed and painted cotton and silk fabric, machine-quilted, hand-embellished.

This piece was inspired by my experience —- caring for my uncle in the hospital in early 2020. With this quilt, I pulled from my memories of the harsh white-colored walls of the hospital and nursing home rooms.

My mother’s brother, Douglass Turner, got very sick, was in hospital for several weeks and passed away in early February 2020. I spent time with my cousin, Aaron Turner, taking care of my uncle before the end.

This quilt is a companion piece to my previous quilt titled: Our Vision of His Transition (2020) I wanted to create an art quilt that depicted a more peaceful transition for my uncle, outdoors on a warm summer night in the woods where he loved to be.

To view this companion piece, Please visit: www.thatblackgirlart.com/visiontransition

Close-Up Details Aaron (My Cousin) & I, in the hospital near my uncle’s bedside. In the black and white vintage photo is an image of my mother and uncle together reflected on the screen of my cousin’s cellphone embedded in the quilt.