Meet Quilt Artist Chitra Mandanna

Multiple international award-winning quilter, Chitra Mandanna has been involved with the India International Quilt Festival since the first edition in 2019. In this week's blog, we’d share a chat we had with her about her quilting life and long involvement with India's premier event for quilt-making and fibre art.

ECT: How did your interest in quilting begin?

CM: I grew up in a very creative household. My father was an excellent artist and my mother was a very creative homemaker, gardener, artist and cook. She used to make quilts for us out of her old sarees, using blankets as batting. That was my first introduction to quilts. I had access to my mother's sewing machine so, at the age of five, I started stitching clothes for my dolls and I haven’t stopped since! I do all kinds of needlework, including embroidery, knitting and crochet and made my first quilt about 20 years ago.

ECT: How would you describe your work?

CM: I now specialise in art quilts - particularly portraits - which I make to commission. I am an artist (painter) by profession and I include a lot of art techniques in my quilts, using threads in much the same way I would use paint to blend the colours. I use printed fabrics for the portraits and I love experimenting with different fabrics and fibres. For example, I used layers of cheese cloth, old denim and t-shirts to create the portrait of my maternal uncle that won the 'Best of Show' award at the India International Quilt Festival 2019. Confetti work is another technique I enjoy working with. It involves arranging tiny bits of fabric to create a picture.

'Inspiration' by Chitra Mandanna

ECT: You have shown in every edition of IIQF – why did you want to be involved?

CM: India has a long and beautiful history of quilting. For generations, quilt traditions thrived quietly in small pockets across the country, each region carrying its own stories, stitches, and styles yet there was never a single platform that brought all these voices together or showcased them on a larger stage. The India International Quilt Festival changed that, helping to unite fibre artists from across India, creating a space where art quilts and textile art could be seen, appreciated and celebrated not just nationally, but on the world stage. For many in India, quilts were traditionally understood as patchwork pieces or utilitarian bedcovers; the idea of quilts as fine art was largely unfamiliar. Through exhibitions, workshops and global participation, IIQF has played a major role in building awareness about art quilts and contemporary textile art. It has expanded public perception, inspired artists to experiment beyond function and helped position Indian fibre art within the larger international quilting community. Apart from that it is always fun to be a part of such a big group of people sharing the same interest.

 'Anjalè whole' by Chitra Mandanna