‘Brett’ – Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt panel

Quilt panel, part of Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt, in memory of 'Brett', silk / cotton made by Libby Woodhams, Australia, c.1990 Rectangular quilt panel, landscape orientation. Screen printed yellow waterlily flower on a green leaf. 'BRETT' is in vertical pink letters on right hand side.

The quilt was made by Libby Woodhams in Australia in about 1990 Libby Woodhams talks about Brett and the making of his quilt in the book - Yardley, A, & Langley, K, "Unfolding: The Story of the Australian and New Zealand AIDS Quilt Projects', McPhee Gribble Publishers, Ringwood, Victoria, 1994, pp. 82-83. Libby Woodhams is described as a visual artist who was the second convener of the Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt project in Sydney. She established the arts program at a Day Centre for people living with AIDS. She was Brett's Ankali support person. Libby Woodhams was interviewed in 1990. This was recorded by the Powerhouse Museum. Libby says that during the last few months of Brett's life he was hospitalised with meningitis. During this time Libby read to Brett as a distraction from pain. The book was the 'Waterlily' by Kate Llewellyn. When Brett died and Libby started to make a quilt panel, the motif of the waterlily therefore seemed appropriate.