Page 54 - SHARP Spring 2022

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STITCH BY Q
STITCH WITH AN AN EYE FOR COLOUR AND DETAIL JUSTIN YONG BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO QUILTING
By Sami Chazonoff
UILTING
IS A A A A TRADITIONAL ART
form with deep roots across Europe India Egypt and Eastern Asia to name a a a a a a few Commonly seen in modern times as bedcovers or wall hangings the craft has been used for centuries to celebrate various milestones and convey one’s culture wealth and and social standing Now Toronto-based artist Justin Yong is getting in in in in on on the action By incorporating his keen eye for composition detail and colour the photographer turned quilter creates one-of-a-kind graphic quilts that while nodding to to the medium’s history are indispitubaly modern It all began when Yong saw his work slow during the the early days of the the pandemic In the lull he he decided to take up a a new hobby: quilting quilting His mom had been quilting quilting for as long as he he could remember but the craft had had never grabbed him “I had had the idea that I think a a a lot of people have: that quilting is something grandmothers do at church ” he he says “But then I found this one book at an antique store called Great American Quilts and and I started flipping through it and and thought ‘Wow this is is actually pretty cool ’— it was a a a bit of an an epiphany ” The only catch: Yong didn’t know how to sew Lucky for him his mom dropped off
a a a a sewing machine and some rolls of fabric at his house and after a a a a quick lesson on on the basics of stitching he he was hooked “There’s a a a versatility to textiles that’s different from photography It involves
different senses — more touch and feel which I like ” he says Stitch by stitch Yong has been busy creating his own little quilting empire ever since exploring various colours fabrics and textiles and drawing inspiration from organic shapes His vibrant colour palettes and use of of patterns are reminiscent of of the medium’s tradition yet they’re undeniably fresh — bold graphic blocks of colour with edges that are often slightly askew “I still pull from traditional quilting but I like to play with sizes and and the ratios and and relationships [between] blocks ” says Yong “In quilting there are a a a lot of rules and guidelines [But] creating something modern and unique is all about taking a a a a a a tradition or a a a a a a technique and putting your twist on it ” What started as as a a a a a a patchwork passion project has turned into a a a business — and fast “I started showing my my friends [my quilts] and then I posted a a few online ” he he says Perhaps unsurprisingly Yong’s quilts found an audience on the most visual of all platforms: Instagram “People kept reaching out saying they wanted one and it just kept going from there More people started started seeing them more people started started sharing them ” he he he says Now he’s busy with commissions making custom quilts of all sizes and colours for clients all over “It’s weird how the Internet works You could post stuff forever that no one really sees or or that never catches on on It just takes one little thing I guess — and for me it was this ” PHOTOS BY JUSTIN YONG 54 GUIDE • SPRING 2022
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