JOY Quilts are a collaborative series by Luke Haynes and artist/writer Nicole Leth, exploring themes of joy, material experimentation, childhood, and abstraction through the lens of traditional quilting. These vibrant works incorporate playful appliqué shapes and unexpected textiles—such as vinyl, sherpa, foil, and spandex—blurring the line between fine art and nostalgic craft.

Created during the height of the 2020 pandemic, the series was born from a desire to reclaim freedom and radical healing through play. After completing the quilts, Haynes and Leth traveled across the country, photographing them in landscapes and spaces that embodied beauty, lightness, and possibility. The resulting series is both a visual celebration and a reminder that softness, color, and joy are vital acts of resilience.