You’ll know her as an amazing artist with a music career spanning four decades and 30 albums, but did you know Kate Ceberano designs and embroiders quilts?
We’re thrilled to have a display of her designs at AQC this year. During the quiet hours of pandemic lockdown, Kate turned to painting and embroidery to story-tell while live performances were curtailed.
Kate’s designs are hand-stitched by a team of four women in the Philippines, with lyrics and personalised stories lovingly hand-stitched by Kate herself.
See her quilts at AQC
Kate Ceberano photograph by Ian Laidlaw
Kate says, “My family and I went to Hawaii when I was 8 years old. Until then I hadn’t really felt that I had any connection to my heritage on my Hawaiian/Filipino side – suddenly a whole world was open to me!! I walked into the lobby of the very famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel and hanging on the wall was a quilt behind a glass case. Literally, I stood in front of it for the longest time – staring at how it was made, the colours, the motifs… I thought about the women, and their hands on it … each stitch a story!!!!
I feel very privileged that I can put my design into such an ancient tradition, and feel my place in amongst my people, and the story of where I’ve come from! Every time I return to Hawaii, I make a pilgrimage to that place, and to that piece of work,” Kate explains.
Photograph by Ian Laidlaw
Unsung, a memoir from Kate Ceberano featuring her song lyrics, stories, paintings and embroidery.
To celebrate her four decades of songwriting and recording and the release of her 30th album, Kate has released a beautifully illustrated memoir featuring her inspirational song lyrics, stories, paintings and embroidery.
The memoir, titled Unsung, is published by Simon and Schuster.
See her quilts at AQC