Art quilt called Memento Mori 2 featuring a Annabel's face merging with a skull on a textured background, with birds, flowers, butterflies, and leaves surrounding her, symbolizing the cycle of life and nature.
Annabel Rainbow and Daniel Lismore at the gallery in Leamington Spa for a shared exhibition called Unravelling History.
 
The more I make, the more I realise that my quilts aren’t really for decoration—they’re stories, stitched into fabric, each one weaving broader social themes. I draw on the rich history of textile arts, especially its roots in women’s work, to explore topics like gender, work, inequality, and prejudice in all forms to all people.

The creative process starts with lots of research;  I read about the themes I want to highlight and gain inspiration from various sources, perhaps developing these ideas into initial sketches, collecting a mass of work. I spend time carefully choosing fabrics and threads that will bring each piece to life.

I often dye and print my own fabrics, layering the story into each piece through fabric appliqué. This brings added depth and texture to the quilt, hopefully enriching the narrative. Machine free hand sewing can be quite contemplative and each stitch a deliberate choice that adds to the theme. Painting adds yet another layer, giving dimension and personality and is an essential part of the quilts.

In addition to my solo work, I’ve shown my quilts in the UK, the USA, and Australia, and had the honour of exhibiting alongside Tracey Emin in London. I’ve also won Open Competitions and Visitors' Choice awards.

Looking ahead, I hope to expand the reach of my quilts, both geographically and thematically. I’d love to challenge perceptions and inspire people with powerful quilts. My future work will probably continue to address a range of social issues, creating space for dialogue and reflection, and pushing the boundaries of art quilting.

I also want to keep growing as an artist, experimenting with new techniques and ideas that reflect the times and the people around me.


About Annabel “Trying to combine raw honesty with technical ability that provokes, questions, and connects; reimagining quilts not as a passive form but as an active, disruptive language of art”.

Annabel with Daniel Lismore at Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum. Unravelling History Jan-May 2025.

Profile of Annabel Rainbow featuring a photo, contact information, and exhibition history. The profile includes her website and email, with sections on exhibitions from 2007 onwards. There are images and descriptions of her work at various art galleries, along with collaborations and projects.
CV for Annabel Rainbow, downloadable
Annabel Rainbow painting live at the NEC, helping to raise money for Save The Children. A magazine shot observing the artist painting in a gallery with text "Meet the best artisan makers in the industry."
Annabel Rainbow and Qian Zephaniah with gallery staff in front of Daniel Lismore's sculpture at the opening night of Unravelling History 2025
Magazine cover titled 'The Quilter' featuring a Life quilt by Annabel Rainbow
Annabel Rainbow "The Harmony of Difference" 2 wall quilts with text and painted eyes. Printed and dyed fabrics, applique, heavy machine stitch.
Art gallery with portraits of diverse individuals displayed on white and red walls.
Two colorful portraits of women, one wearing a yellow floral dress and the other showing a man with glasses sewing, displayed on a white gallery wall.
A mixed media artwork featuring an abstract human figure, a clock, a blackbird, books, a skull, an apple, a key, and various objects arranged on a textured background with handwritten text. The scene has a surreal, symbolic style.
Art gallery with three prominent paintings: a mixed media portrait of a smiling man with dreadlocks wearing a dark jacket, a colorful abstract piece, and a textile artwork of a woman in traditional attire, along with a smaller abstract painting in the background.
Three portraits of elderly individuals displayed on a red wall in an art gallery, with informational plaques below each.
A woman with glasses smiling, with half of her face depicted as a skull, surrounded by flying birds, butterflies, flowers, and botanical elements against a textured dark background.
2 quilts by Annabel Rainbow "Memento Mori 1 and 2" In the collections of Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum.