Leni Levenson Wiener
Biography
Leni Levenson Wiener is a figurative fabric collage artist (often described as art quilts), focusing on the expressive and universal nature of body language. She has written four books, Pictorial Art Quilt Guidebook, 3 Fabric Quilts, Photo-inspired Art Quilts and Thread Painting and has been featured in compilation books, Conscience of the Human Spirit, The Life of Nelson Mandela: Tributes by Artists from South Africa and the United States; 1000 Quilt Inspirations; The Best of Quilting Arts; and Art Quilt Portfolio: People and Portraits. (Information about Leni’s books is available under the “shop” menu category.)
Her artwork has been included in many juried and invitational exhibitions across the US and around the world; and her solo museum show, Park Bench Stories continues to tour. (Information about Park Bench stories can be found under the “gallery” menu category–“Park Bench Stories, more information”.)
Besides teaching workshops at quilt guilds and quilt shows on the topic of creating art quilts from photographs, Leni frequently gives talks to quilters on color, value and print scale; finding your artistic voice, and trunk shows of her evolution as an artist. In addition, she coaches emerging artists individually to help them find their unique artistic voice. Leni also offers an online course through iquilt. (Information about both workshops and talks and iquilt can be found here under the menu category, “teaching” and art quilt voice coaching under “services”.)
Leni is proud to be a BERNINA Ambassador and regular contributor to the We All Sew blog site and numerous quilt magazines.
Artist Statement
My art quilts can best be described as figurative, representational fabric collage. Most of my work focuses on the universality of human body language and what it tells us about the people around us.
I consider myself a storyteller; as a former photographer, my works begins with photographs I take of strangers, unaware of the camera, caught in those unremarkable and familiar moments that pass without notice or reflection. Backgrounds and environments are less important than the expressive body language that tells us so much about these people we have never net. Viewers of the artwork are invited to bring their own life experience to the story in each art quilt.
I use only commercially available cotton quilting fabric, building the complexity of the image with a layering of unexpected patterns. I pay as much attention to the ‘value’ of the fabrics I choose as their color. I use a raw edge machine applique technique, freeing me from tedious piecing and allowing the fraying and puckering that is the inherent characteristic of fabric.
