Artwork copyright Sally Sellers. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Firstborn, 1994

Sally Sellers
American (born 1951)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Firstborn is part of artist Sally Sellers' series of quilts featuring house imagery. Sellers began the series after her young daughter was moved from home to a nursing facility due to serious illness. Sellers notes that the body of work was created as an expressive means to comfort herself and to challenge our concept of home. This piece is composed to resemble a calendar, and explores the contrasting fates of her two daughters. She notes "The rectangles containing symbols, lined up across the bottom of the quilt, are mysterious. They are intended to have an elusive meaning. No one knows what events will occur in their life or what their final destiny will be. The future exists, but is undecipherable."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Northwest textile artist Sally Sellers creates art-quilts that explore and manipulate color and form.