STUDIO SESSION - IN VIVID COLOR

CHICAGOAN EMILY VAN HOFF PIECES TOGETHER FABULOUSLY SATURATED, INTENTIONALLY HAPPY WORKS OF QUILTED ART.

- EMILY VAN HOFF

Persimmon and cobalt. Aqua and emerald. Baby pink and acid yellow. Chicago artist Emily Van Hoff's quilting scraps beg a writer to reach for crayon-box vocabulary. Trained as a graphic designer, Van Hoff began quilting after the sudden death of her husband, followed by the loss of her job, in 2020. Locked down and grieving, she chased joy, needle in hand. And this is where she landed a massive Instagram following, booming business, unexpected palettes, new techniques and creative partnerships like a jewelry collab and an upcoming fabric line. Interview with Alicia Underlee Nelson.

AUN How do you describe your work for people who have never seen it?

EVH I make quilts-but not the kind of quilts you're thinking of. They're very sculptural, tactile, more like objects, rather than a flat thing. The most succinct way to say it is that I make shaped, modern art quilts.

AUN This is a relatively new endeavor for you-what skills set you up for success?