Are we all '=' now?
Are we still '/' on issues of gender in work, sport, business, politics and family?
What are the '+'s of exploring gender equality creatively together?

Introducing textile artist Arati Kushwhah and The Quilt Project!

Arati Kushwaha is a visual artist who has exhibited widely in India and abroad, including Prague, New York City, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Argentina, London UK, Austria and USA.
Her work explores themes of identity, gender, sexuality, femininity and sex-selective self-induced abortion and destruction executed through sculptures, installations, video and waxwork which represent diverse and critical ideas and raise awareness of these issues.
Arati's latest work: The Quilt project, is a socially engaged and ongoing project involving communities. The Quilt Project will create a large-scale patchwork quilt with individual blocks featuring applique of math symbols to share participants views on gender inequality.

The aim of the project is to collect as many blocks as possible that will represent the number of community views on inequality. The Quilt Project enables people to share their experiences, thoughts, feelings, and imaginations collaboratively. It sustains the engagement with textile processes that address the gender disparity issues women and gender diverse people around the world and gender diverse people around the world are facing.

Stitch Kitchen is partnering with Arati and her Quilt Project by providing equipment, materials and workshop support.

This project is made possible by funding support from DCC Arts Grants, Community and Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS).

Once the individual blocks have been created, Arati will patchwork these together into quilts, and hold a public exhibition that will also feature photos from the workshops and the stories shared by participants.
Arati is also planning to write a paper for publication by the Costume and Textile Association of New Zealand, and the Surface Design Association.

If you would like to know more about the project or help sponsor Arati, please get in touch with her directly via email or you can contact us.