Bonds per Stitch
In Bonds per Stitch, artist Rucha Kulkarni explores the subjectivity of the idea of home through collaboration, dialogue, and the tactile language of textiles. Engaging with Mo Chen, Neyde Lantyer, Ijlal Taous, and Regina Kelly—women whose migration histories shape their evolving sense of belonging—Kulkarni transforms quilting into a space of exchange, memory, and reconstruction.
In Bonds per Stitch, artist Rucha Kulkarni explores the subjectivity of the idea of home through collaboration, dialogue, and the tactile language of textiles. Engaging with Mo Chen, Neyde Lantyer, Ijlal Taous, and Regina Kelly—women whose migration histories shape their evolving sense of belonging—Kulkarni transforms quilting into a space of exchange, memory, and reconstruction.
Drawing from the form and ethos of traditional Indian quilts, her practice extends beyond materiality into process and participation. Quilt-making, historically a communal and intimate practice, becomes a method of storytelling—where the act of stitching echoes the rhythms of remembering, adapting, and creating new connections. Through layers of fabric, transparency, and running stitches, Kulkarni visualizes home as a fluid and evolving entity, shaped by past experiences, present realities, and future hopes (Boccagni, 2017; Fathi, 2021).
This exhibition presents four sets of quilted works: each participant, with Kulkarni’s guidance, created a quilt reflecting their own associations with home. In response, Kulkarni produced four pieces inspired by the discussions and experiences shared with each woman. The resulting works are layered with personal narratives, emotional landscapes, and the traces of hands in motion. Fabric, as both material and metaphor, becomes a site of intimacy and transformation—holding the weight of nostalgia while embracing the possibilities of reinvention.
Through these interconnected textile dialogues, Bonds per Stitch reflects on how home is not merely a place, but a lived, evolving experience—stitched together by memory, migration, and the relationships we build along the way. Here, quilting is more than craft; it is a gesture of care, resilience, and shared meaning, where every thread binds together fragments of self, place, and belonging.
Project supported by Fonds voor Noord
This exhibition presents four sets of quilted works: each participant, with Kulkarni’s guidance, created a quilt reflecting their own associations with home. In response, Kulkarni produced four pieces inspired by the discussions and experiences shared with each woman. The resulting works are layered with personal narratives, emotional landscapes, and the traces of hands in motion. Fabric, as both material and metaphor, becomes a site of intimacy and transformation—holding the weight of nostalgia while embracing the possibilities of reinvention.
Through these interconnected textile dialogues, Bonds per Stitch reflects on how home is not merely a place, but a lived, evolving experience—stitched together by memory, migration, and the relationships we build along the way. Here, quilting is more than craft; it is a gesture of care, resilience, and shared meaning, where every thread binds together fragments of self, place, and belonging.
Project supported by Fonds voor Noord
