Pandemic in patchwork

The word quilt has a fuzzy vibe about it; something to snuggle up under and stay warm. In India, the hand-made textile has different names and makes - for some of us it's the fluffy razai or the colourful ralli, for others it's the childhood kantha. But underlying all of them is the same sense of comfort. While the world is going through one of the worst crises in history, the Corona Quilt Project (CQP) is documenting our varied experiences through that same instrument of comfort. Originally, the brainchild of Vadodara-based leadership coach Shruti Sonthalia and USA-based Gina Kellogg, who runs Kellogg Sisters Feed & Seed, the project, which took off in May, has since roped in co-creators from across the world, including Neha Modi, Dia Mehhta, Samyukta and Pri Shewakramani from India.

Patches of art sent by Twinkle Khanna, Sameer Kulavoor

The idea is simple. "We ask people to creatively express their emotions during the pandemic. The Corona Quilt is made up of squares created by people from all over the world," says Modi, the co-founder of a clothing brand. The Corona Quilt, Shewakramani tells us, is inspired by the Aids Memorial Quilt (1987), which brought to the fore the loss of millions of lives, making the statistics personal. "The Corona Quilt makes the impact of the virus more visible and tangible for us. It will be a memory for future generations," explains Shewakramani, a marketing consultant. The idea, Modi adds, taps into the "wisdom of hands" to heal and make sense of this unprecedented experience, a form of expression that our ancestors have used over time.

Patches of art sent by Jayanti Reddy

In India, the team became active in mid-June, and has partnered with diverse voices, including PAUSE, Disha Special School, and Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer. To be a part of CQP, you need to make a square or a patch of art expressing your feelings. The physical or digital patch has to be then sent to them.
The thread that binds the artworks despite the varied experiences, is compassion or karuna, they share, connecting the Sanskrit word to Corona. "From kids to celebrities, there are participants from all walks of life.

Neha Modi

Some express gratitude, while others express their loss or anxiety. In every case, people seem happy to have spent time tapping into their feelings. It's a way of seeing the crisis as an opportunity to step into compassion," Shewakramani says. For instance, Sussanne Khan's patch is a version of self-love, while those by young cancer warriors from The Cuddles Foundation focus on health. "One of our favourites was from an artist, Al-Qawi Nanavati, who lost her mother. Before the lockdown she would avoid being at home, surrounded by her mother's things, but she was forced to confront her loss during this time. She made a square using her mother's old fabric and onion dye, painting a language only they knew," shares Modi. The final installation will be available by next year. "It also depends on how things pan out, but this quilt will bring us together in isolation," she concludes.

Pri Shewakramani

Log on to @coronaquiltproject on Instagram for details

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