Back in 2006, scientists dredged up a deep-sea clam off the coast of Iceland. By counting the growth lines in the shell they learned that the clam was 507 years old. Unfortunately, the clam was stored in the freezer and died. The clam was knick-named “Ming” by the London Sunday Times because it was “born” during the Chinese Ming dynasty. What does 500 years represent to a clam? I decided to use Ming (c. 1499-2006) as my artistic muse and created a series of twenty (and counting) hand-appliquéd and framed quilts that illustrate “What Did Ming Miss?” Select quilts are shown.
Photographs by Aaron Paden
Complete set of postcards are for sale here.
All images © 2009-2020 Kathy Suprenant.
KATHY SUPRENANT 