Contemporary quilt artist Jennifer Fons showcases her work in a solo exhibition at the Textile Art Gallery of NYC entitled, Hiraeth, inspired by the Welsh concept of “longing, or a homesickness for a place, time, or version of self that can never fully be reclaimed”. Fons’ compositions balance structure and improvisation, reflecting the instability of memory and the shifting nature of identity. Negative space, and layered seams become visual metaphors for distance and the passage of time. Fons invites viewers to consider how we carry place within us—how home can persist as both a physical reality and an emotional echo. Hiraeth is not only a meditation on longing, but also an exploration of resilience, continuity, and the ways we piece ourselves together across time.

Fons’ process typically begins by using painted paper collages as a practice to generate ideas for large quilted works. By dyeing her own fabric, Fons is able to achieve her desired color palette. In this way, Fons acts as a painter, using her rotary cutter tool as a brush, cutting lines and shapes to be sewn together in a finished composition. The final step in completing the work is the heavily quilted lines across each piece. In this work one can find abstracted figures, sometimes appearing isolated, but also relating to one another– longing for home. Hiraeth.

The exhibition is presented by Textile Art Gallery NYC in New York, NY, and is scheduled to run from May 5 to June 27, 2026, with an artist reception on May 16.

Textile Art Gallery NYC is located at 529 W 20th St, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10011. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.