I SEE You: The Power of Being Seen

About I SEE You:

I SEE You is a nationwide creative project. It honours the often-unseen experiences of parents carers of children with non-visible disabilities. Examples include autism, diabetes, and epilepsy. Through collective quilt-making and storytelling, the project gives space to voices often unheard, fostering connection, recognition, and creative expression.

Each embroidered ‘eye’ symbolises vigilance, care, and love. It represents an intimate window into the world of caring for a child whose challenges aren’t always visible to others.

The finished quilt is part protest banner and part comfort blanket. It reflects a spectrum of experiences, from the everyday to the profound.

The interactive catalogue includes:

• Beautiful images of the quilt and individual pieces
• Personal stories and reflections from the artist and participants
• Creative prompts for your own art making

Plan your visit to LEVEL Centre…

Project lead artist: Lois Blackburn

Textile artist Lois Blackburn creates brightly coloured artworks, using familiar objects that draw you in – textiles, stitched to connect us all.

Lois exhibits work internationally. Her work focusses on the creation of issue based artworks, often using batik, quilts and hand fans. She has been commissioned for a wide range of public art and private artworks. Her artwork is held in public collections including Bankfield Museum Halifax and Leighton House Museum, Kensington. In 2018, two quilts were archived with The Quilters’Guild.

About the I SEE You quilt and project, Lois says:

“Parent carers often feel invisible in society. This project gave them the space to be seen, not just as carers, but as individuals with their own stories, creativity, and inner lives.”