White Rhino

This was a challenge quilt made to support rhino conservation in Kenya. The quilt is appliqué and thread painting.

I am from Kenya and am always inspired by Kenyan wildlife, and often depict them in my quilts. I chose the white rhino as my focus for this quilt because on a recent trip to Samburu, I spotted a white rhino. Unfortunately, due to poaching, the white rhino is highly endangered and I wished to represent their majestic beauty through my art. While I've seen other quilters depict black rhino's in their quilts, I was specifically inspired to use the white rhino as my focus.

This was a challenge quilt in which I sought to encompass a number of different mediums, including appliqué and thread painting. I concentrated heavily on the eye of the rhino, and used fabric paint to do so. I always believe the eye is the soul of a work. I used paint to highlight the details of the rhinos face, for example, the shadows around the ears and the wrinkles around his eyes. I chose the background fabric so as to emulate the varying shades of green and yellow of Sabmuru's landscape.

This piece won 2nd place in our club.

Maker: Veena Sennik

Quilter: Veena Sennik

Year Made: 2019

Owned By: Veena Sennik

Size: 16.5 x 24 inches

Shows & Museums: Kenya Museum in 2019

Awards: 2nd in club award