“It is a powerful project - the combination of research, textile practice and contemporary storytelling makes for an impactful and thought-provoking body of work”
-Megan Hicks (she/Her)
Exhibition Curator
Culture & Archives
North Yorkshire Council
The Power of Words
2023 - ongoing
The Power of Words project is centred around conceptual
quilt portraits that are bold and celebrate Black people.
Janina’s recent work explores the D217 Sylko historical thread that was made in
Great Britain. The thread has a racist slur as its colour label. Janina uses the thread
to hand embroider portraits of Black people who are using their voice for positive,
social and cultural change in Contemporary Britain. The wooden cotton reel with its
original label is attached to each portrait quilt opening up a dialogue about the
history of the thread and racism past and present. Janina has created seven conceptual
quilts with another three planned. She hopes to show the collection in the North West of
England where the story of the thread originated.
Warm mid-brown, 2024, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained coffee, quilt - 57 x 85cm
Warm mid brown (back), 2024, African print cotton, quilt - 57 x 85cm
Shattering stereotypes, 2025, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 55 x 63cm
Shattering stereotypes (back), 2025, block print with ink, quilt - 55 x 63cm
You have worked on being patient, 2025, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 52 x 77cm
Oh what a lovely precious dream, 2025, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 55cm x 88cm
Time for reflection, 2025, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 76 x 57cm
Time for reflection (back), 2025, hand embroidery on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 76 x 57cm
Be creative, 2026, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 64 x 68cm
Soul rebel, 2026, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt - 60 x 76cm
Soul rebel (back), 2026, appliqué, quilt - 60 x 76cm
Artist in studio with Soul rebel quilt, 2026
9 Months
2023 - 2024
A celebration of motherhood through maternal material
culture
For her MA creative practice, Janina chose to celebrate her experience of motherhood
through maternal material culture. Each of her nine conceptual miniature quilts
reflects a moment of intimacy between herself and her son. They are an
autobiographical celebration of motherhood between 2018, the year her son was born,
and 2020, a pivotal moment in her life. Nine photographs taken between those years
have been reimagined through textiles, hand embroidery, appliqué and coffee stain to
encapsulate her concept of feminist motherhood. Each miniature quilt visualises,
materialises and indexes maternal memory in cloth.
Title - 39 Weeks, 2023, hand embroidery on coffee stained cotton, quilt
Title - Breastfeeding, 2023, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt
Title - Clasped Feet, 2023, hand embroidery on coffee stained cotton, quilt
Title - Musical Instrument, 2023, hand embroidery and appliqué on coffee stained cotton, quilt
Tilte - Reflections, 2023, hand embroidery, quilt
Title - Letting Go, 2023, hand embroidery, quilt