Coral, Amber and Ebony - Alicia Merrett

The Ithaka poem talks about ‘stopping at the Phoenician trading stations’, where ‘fine things’, such as coral, amber and ebony, can be bought. For me, they are the equivalent of raw materials, the building blocks for creating art.

The term ‘trading stations’ makes me think, first, of shops and and other places where I bought fabrics and tools for my art. It also makes me think about the many workshops I attended where I learnt so many interesting techniques that I later made my own - just as you would make beautiful jewellery from coral and amber, and fascinating sculptures from ebony.

My quilt is designed with jewel-like colours and a variety of interesting shapes. It is a digital design which was then printed on fabric, layered and machine quilted.

Size: approximately 46” x 27.5” (117 x 70 cm)

Alicia Merrett, 2024.