Regina Jestrow Miami Beach Artist

 

(305) 546-3958

Regina Jestrow Miami Beach Artist

My organically shaped geometric art quilts stem from my constant reexamination of American history and recontextualizing of textile traditions. I learned how to sew as a child and utilize techniques from quilt-making using improvisation, contrast, repeat patterns, and shifts in scale while incorporating colors, textures, and structures representative of the natural surroundings in South Florida using new, second-hand, and hand-dyed textiles.  I use symbolic geometric quilt patterns and manipulate the shapes to create movement and transformation.  Wanting to represent the Miami landscape I use colors that portray the skin tones of the population combined with dyes created from locally sourced plants and rust. Other materials, such as neoprene, sequins, and faux leather reference the pop culture of Miami.

Along with my constant interest in American Folk-Art Quilts, geometric-abstract artists from the mid to late twentieth century are my influencers, including Gees Bend quilters, Elizabeth Murray, Helen Frankenthaler, Annie Albers, and Gego. These artistic voices have driven me to create quilts of scale with strong personal symbolism and narrative.

Regina Durante Jestrow (1978) is a textile artist born in Queens, NY, and based in Miami, FL. She learned how to sew from her mother at a young age, and she has utilized these skills throughout her practice. After attending school for photography and moving to Miami, Jestrow turned to quilting to cope with homesickness. Jestrow’s ongoing interests in women's rights and history, patterns and stories from American quilt-making traditions, and textile arts have led her to develop a body of work that includes painting, drawings, sculptural installations, textile wall hangings, and functional objects. Her art quilts consist of new, second-hand, and hand-dyed fabrics using natural dyes, inks, and iron, and burning, using colors representative of Miami's people, culture, and landscape.