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Arts & Entertainment

Tropical Hawaii Inspired Arts Featured at the Two Twelve Arts Center

Fiber artist Kat Campau is sure to warm the winter chill with 32 of her Hawaiian quilts.

Two Twelve Arts Center in Saline will host an artist’s reception for Kat Campau, a nationally renown fiber artist and quilter, from 7-9 p.m. Friday.

The show is inspired by a trip Campau took to Hawaii to visit her daughter. 

“I fell in love with Maui,” Campau said. “I wish I could still be there. I made a Maui quilt, and I pin my lottery tickets to it, in hope that I can win enough to go back. It really is a paradise.” 

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The 32 quilts in the show feature Hawaiian flowers.

Warm and breezy birds and florals are brought to life by Campau’s hand. See how she transforms thread, fibers and other textiles into lively, multidimensional works of art. Campau’s pieces are so detailed, it is as if one could reach right into one of them and pull a bloom off a stem.

“There are a couple Hawaiian chickens, too, because we kept seeing them try to cross the road. A lot of chickens roam free, and they're so colorful,” Campau said. 

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In one quilt featuring a Hawaiian chicken, as posted on her blog Stitchnut, the bird is so detailed it seems odd that it isn’t making any noise. Its feathers are like silk, and the colors realistic and vivid.

“I am an intuitive colorist,” Campau says on her website. "I like to stretch colors. Fiber arts are the way I express this fascination.I like to work fast, making decisions as I work. Planning ahead is limited to deciding my method, the size of my components, and the color range I will use.”

Campau creates many forms of art. She has a mask series that is deep and moody, but sometimes whimsical. 

“My mask series was first inspired by the Smithsonian collection of African masks. Mine are not tribal, though, but fantasy characters,” she said.

The collection of work on Campau’s website includes many different versions of the Lady of Guadalupe.

“The Lady of Guadalupe is one of my favorites. I feel she represents female strength. Whenever I find fabric with her image, I always buy it. I love to do hand stitching on the little panels, and add luxurious bead fringe,” Campau said.

Two Twelve Arts Center is located at 216 W. Michigan Ave. The reception is from 7-9 p.m. but the show runs all month.

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