North Central resident and quilt artist, Erika Warren, has had many careers: wife, mother, accountant and caretaker. Now she spends hours reviewing fabrics, sketching ideas, sewing, quilting, embellishing and sharing her fiber art.
North Central resident Erika Warren, who teaches the Berber women of Morocco some of her sewing skills, says their culture and landscape have in turn influenced her quilt art. Warren has an exhibit of her work opening this month inside the Church of the Beatitudes (photo courtesy of Erika Warren).
Warren recently returned from a trip to Morocco, where she taught Berber women in the Atlas Mountains how to sew—one of many trips she has made to this visually rich country. They, in turn, teach Warren cooking and local crafts and some of their local customs and dialects.
“My love and infatuation for Africa is my greatest inspiration. I fell hard for the big graceful animals and the humble people,”says the self-taught fabric artist. “African influence is strong in my quilted wall hanging. But, how can I ignore the lure of the Southwest, the secrets of the ocean, the basics of black and white—with a touch of red. It’s all about color, texture and imagination.”
Warren will have an exhibit of her work at the church of the Beatitudes, 555 W. Glendale Ave., from Nov. 12 through Jan. 20, 2018. All pieces will be available for purchase. An artist’s reception will take place 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12; admission is free.
