Stories from regional WA stitched into quilts at new exhibition at Katanning Art Gallery

A visual display of WA’s Indigenous heritage and landscape has been officially unveiled at Katanning Art Gallery. The centrepiece attraction, Expanse, showcases 16 meticulously handcrafted quilts, inspired by landmarks throughout regional WA as part of a project 18 months in the making. WA Inspired Art Quilters member Denise Mallon said the diversity and beauty of WA’s countryside and history inspired her to create her pieces. “There are so many different stories, particularly in Indigenous culture, that have been untold, that we have tried to encapsulate in our artwork,” she said. “It’s wonderful getting out into the country, and we are just so lucky to be able to come down to this part of the world to put on a display.” The 72-year-old Perth artist has two quilts at the exhibition that she said took months of research, travel, design and crafting to put together. Her first quilt is inspired by salt planes at Hutt Lagoon in the Mid West, and the second vividly represents rare wildflowers found throughout regional WA. Ms Mallon said she handcrafted her second display, Floral Extravaganza, while travelling across the Nullarbor “We were travelling in our caravan and I didn’t have my sewing machine with me so I literally had to do hand embroidery for the flowers in the piece,” she said. “It is a lot of fun — a great way to stay social and to keep the brain active as a lot of thought and maths goes into it.” WA Inspired Art Quilters came to Katanning last Monday to officially open the exhibition. The Katanning Gallery has booked two more exhibitions by WA Inspired Art Quilters to be displayed in February next year.