iridescent quilts by wally dion celebrate indigenous identity and great plains landscapes

Wally Dion reflects Indigenous identity in vibrant fabric quilts

Canadian-born, New York-based artist Wally Dion beautifully weaves his Saulteaux ancestry into his vibrant fabric quilts. For Indigenous people, quilting is deeply significant, and Dion captures this in his ongoing Grass Quilt projects, having completed his first piece in 2022. Originally, Dion envisioned a single piece by layering transparent, iridescent quilts to evoke the imagery of prairie tall grass and the return of bison to the Great Plains. However, his artistic journey took a turn and now, he stitches each quilt separately, letting them wave like proud flags against the backdrop of natural landscapes.

Bison Quilt, 2023 | all images courtesy of Wally Dion

Grass Quilt Journey: From Digital Patterns to Natural Landscapes

Wally Dion’s Grass Quilt project concept evolved from his earlier work, which showcased an eight-point star pattern made as a circuit board collage. Transitioning from electronic parts to fabrics, Dion began his first bright green quilt to re-envision the prairie ecosystem and the reintroduction of bison to the Great Plains.

‘This star quilt was made as part of a 2022 residency at Wanuskewin Park; it is my way of reflecting upon prairie tall grass and the reintroduction of bison into the Great Plaines. I wanted to make several transparent quilts and superimpose them, one in front another: a quilt for the microbiome, another for the bison, their manure & hooves, another for the summer fires that scorch the ground and a final quilt for the sweetgrass braid,’ the New York-based artists shares. ‘I was considering how all of these things worked together for thousands of years to create what is known as the ‘prairie ecosystem’. A vast and fertile expanse of land stretching from the foothills of Alberta to the banks of the Mississippi. I wanted to highlight the invisibility of systems when everything is working well, as it should be. Falling short in my goal, I started with the green quilt because it is the colour of the sweet grass braid that is exchanged in ceremony and relationship building.’

Since his first piece, Wally Dion has been stitching a variety of vivid fabric pieces in a lush palette of greens, pinks, purples, and darker tones like grey and black. The resulting large-scale works are made with semi-transparent fabric, creating a mesmerizing interplay with sunlight as they wave in the air.

Grass Quilt, 2022