My solo exhibition, Fil de vie (Thread of Life), was presented at the historic Sainte Madeleine Church in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines during Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, September 18–21.

On September 20, the Avant-Garde awards of the International Contest were announced. I was honored to serve as one of the jurors, alongside Libs Elliott and Scott Culley—congratulations to all the talented artists recognized!

The final day of Carrefour Européen du Patchwork was also my workshop day. Twenty-one participants filled the room with energy and curiosity, regardless of age. My random weave and stitch technique is not your usual embroidery—it embraces imperfection, trial and error, the idea that “it’s okay to be wrong,” and the beauty found in tangles. Everyone jumped in with joy and courage.

It is a distinct honor to have been selected for Quilt National ’25, widely recognized as one of the most prestigious platforms for contemporary art quilting. Receiving the Best of Show award is a meaningful recognition that I deeply appreciate.

I would like to thank the jurors—Martha Sielman, Ellen M. Blalock, and Luke Haynes—for their thoughtful consideration. I am also pleased to share that my piece will become part of the permanent collection at the International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska, an institution dedicated to celebrating and preserving the legacy of quilt art.

Later on, the piece also received the People’s Choice Award, a recognition that deeply humbles and honors me. I am truly grateful for the support and encouragement from the quilting community.

• 59″ x 72″ (150cm x 182cm)
• recycled blanket, Cotton thread, linen thread, perle cotton, polyester thread
• random weave and stitch(artist own technique)

Viriditas, derived from fire, air, water, and earth, embodies the concept that “In the food we eat we are to find a healing ability to maintain healthy nourishment and balance.” Hildegard of Bingen, a prominent mystic and philosopher in medieval Europe, often used this Latin term, which encompasses meanings such as greenness, vitality, and abundance.

It signifies the life-giving power inherent in greenery. This artwork aims to highlight the profound force of nature, especially the vitality of green life, which inherently possesses beauty.

I recently had the opportunity to present Creative Freedom: Mastering Art Quilting at the SAQA Annual Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. My lecture focused on exploring the identity and potential of art quilters. I shared methods for maximizing creativity, drawing inspiration from Corita Kent’s “Rules for Students and Teachers” and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

The conference offered many memorable experiences. I especially enjoyed visiting the James Museum of Western, Native American, and Wildlife Art, the Museum of Fine Arts with its beautiful kimono exhibition, and the SDA show at Florida CraftArt. A heartfelt thank you to the SAQA Florida members for hosting such a warm and welcoming event.

One of the highlights was the Spotlight Auction, which supports SAQA’s programs. I’m honored that my piece, Winter Trees in Stillness (6.5″ x 9″, matted to 4.5″ x 6.5″), received enthusiastic bidding and ultimately sold for a high price. I’m deeply grateful to the collector who gave it a new home.

I am honored to have received the Excellence in Artistic Achievement in Visual Arts Award at the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards, recognizing my contributions to arts and culture in Kansas.

The awards ceremony took place on March 13, 2025, in Topeka, marking the first presentation of the Kansas State Arts Awards since 2011—making this recognition especially meaningful.

My sincere thanks to Curtis Young, Director of the Kansas Arts Commission, Lt. Governor David Toland, and Governor Laura Kelly for their continued support of Kansas’s vibrant arts and culture community.

2025 Governor’s Arts Awards recipients

December 6, 2024 – March 2, 2025

My solo exhibition Rootedness was held at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The show featured fiber and mixed-media works exploring themes of identity, belonging, and cultural memory, shaped by my experience as a Korean American artist.

On the final weekend, I visited the museum to help wrap up the exhibition. A special exhibition tour and artist talk, Shin-Hee Chin: Rootedness with the Artist, took place on Saturday, March 1, 2025, offering visitors a chance to engage directly with the work and its themes. A two-day workshop was also held on March 1 and 2, focusing on technique and creative process.

https://www.wiquiltmuseum.com/shinhee-chin-rootedness

I’m honored to share that Wintering received the Best in Show award at the Form Not Function: Quilt Art Biennialexhibition at the Carnegie Library Cultural Arts Center. This year’s exhibit features 20 outstanding quilts selected by jurors Michelle Amos, Terry Jarrard-Dimond, and Kevin Womack. Many thanks to the jurors and the Carnegie Center for this recognition.

Wintering
53″ x 89″ (134 cm x 226 cm)
In my portrayal of the winter tree, I envision not only its stark appearance but also reflect on its hidden roots. Winter often symbolizes life’s hardships—death, grief, and loss. Yet, for nature, it signifies tranquility and rest, harboring the promise of renewal and hope. As the earth rests, preparing for the vibrant resurgence of spring, I contemplate its wintry state through vivid colors and diverse textures. While the surface may seem desolate, underneath lies fertile ground teeming with potential. As the surface sleeps, the soil dreams of the awakening to come.

On October 23, the international exhibition Through Life / A Través de la Vida opened at Museo Casa Lleras, part of Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Bogotá, Colombia. I’m honored to have my piece, Vital Essence, displayed alongside works by 69 talented international artists from 35 countries and five continents.

Curated by María Ortega (Spain), Ceci Arango (Colombia), and Yosi Anaya (Mexico), this powerful exhibition celebrates life through contemporary textile art, bringing together diverse cultural perspectives and artistic expressions.

Vital Essence celebrates the strength and dignity inherent in all of us. Inspired by Eastern philosophy, the red phoenixes in the piece symbolize resilience and renewal. I hope my work invites reflection on the beauty and contrasts of life.

I’m grateful to share that my quilt, Winter Trees—A Glimmer of Light (46″ x 65″), received the Quilt Visions 2024 Award at the Visions Museum of Textile Art.

My sincere thanks go to the jurors—Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry, Karl Reichert, and Sandra Sider—for this meaningful recognition and for their thoughtful critique, which was shared on the museum’s website.

Winter Trees—A Glimmer of Light placed whispers of frost on a cold morning, adding delicate layers of detail to the composition. The trees stood as symbols of winter’s enduring spirit—resilient and upright despite the season’s harshness. The background, with its muted warmth blending into a cold, subdued setting, reflected the quiet beauty and duality of winter: harsh yet beautiful, cold yet comforting. The Glimmer of Light represented hope, resilience, and the promise of renewal, even in the darkest winters.

Each thread and stitch, shaped through my technique of random weaving and stitching, contributed to a visual narrative of winter’s stark beauty and nature’s quiet strength. The spontaneous interplay of fibers allowed for an organic dialogue between intention and chance, capturing the delicate balance between order and chaos in the landscape.

*The piece was also featured in SAQA Journal 2024 Vol. 34 No. 3, accompanied by a short story that explored its themes more deeply.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the exhibition Korean Embroidery in Modern Times: The Birds Trying to Catch the Sun, held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Deoksugung Palace, Seoul.

My works, “Emergence: The Pathos of Things” and “Spring Forest,” were on display from May 1 to August 4, 2024, as part of this meaningful exhibition. Historically significant themes and embroidery works were presented across four curated spaces. The exhibition’s thoughtful research and rich documentation felt as intricate as embroidery itself, while the intergenerational collection shimmered like a single thread weaving together precious jewels.

This exhibition honored the spirit of women who created “in the secret place” (Psalm 139:15)—without name, face, or voice. It was a truly moving experience to be part of this tribute.

Emergence: The Pathos of Things
Medium: Random weave and stitch on recycled quilt
Size: 40″ x 52″
Materials: Perle cotton threads, linen threads, woven fabric, polyester, cotton, wool, India ink, recycled blanket

Spring Forest
Medium: Random weave and stitch on recycled quilt
Size: 60″ x 68″
Materials: Perle cotton threads, linen threads, polyester, cotton, recycled wedding quilt

From October 6 to November 19, 2023, I had the privilege of presenting my solo exhibition, Entangled Harmony, at 108 Contemporary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This exhibition explored the intricate relationship between nature and humanity—how we are entangled in quiet dialogue and mutual transformation. Drawing from my bicultural experience in South Korea and the United States, I aimed to weave together elements of Eastern and Western traditions, craft and fine art, and spiritual and musical influences.

Using my technique of random weave and stitch, I created layered fiber compositions that reflect both tension and harmony. Each piece invited viewers to contemplate the restorative power of nature and the subtle beauty found in entanglement.

I’m grateful to 108 Contemporary for hosting the exhibition and to everyone who attended the opening and artist talk on October 6. The conversations and reflections shared during the show were deeply meaningful.

Also, I was honored to be featured in an article by Cassid Petrazzi in OVAC’s Fall 2023 Art Focus issue, which offered further insight into the themes and process behind Entangled Harmony.

108 Contemporary, Shin-hee Chin: Entangled Harmony