38. How to Become a Fiber Artist - Nastassja Swift

What convictions that you have? How do you want to live your life and how you want to—if you consider yourself a creator, craft your art. It's a tender thing to have the courage of your conviction and to know when to be buck convention in order to give birth to something truly novel. For me, I love rules. Mainly to learn the rules of whatever genre I'm studying so that I can break them and attempt something new. In today's episode, Nastassja talks to us about her journey to becoming a fiber artist. She'll share with us how her art helps her to understand Black girlhood in the US. Nastassja's work will surprise and delight you. Mostly her approach to her work, may give you new perspectives in your own life. Nastassja Swift is sculptural fiber artist redefining her use of portraiture through wool to create work that speaks to spirituality, history and place in relation to the body. Nastassja was recently invited to Penland School of Craft's Winter Residency as a Distinguished Fellow. She is the recipient of a 2022 -23 VMFA Fellowship, the 2021 Dr. Doris Derby Award, the Art Matters 2021 Artist2Artist Award, the Black Box Press Foundation 2021 Art as Activism Grant, and the 2020 Virginia Commission of the Arts Fellowship. Her work has been acquired into the Grace Linton Battle Memorial Fund for the Arts Collection, as well as Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville. Nastassja Swift is currently living and working in Virginia. Get to know more about Nastassja: Keep up with your host Martine Severin https://martineseverin.com/  Follow This Is How We Create on IG. https://www.instagram.com/thisishowwecreate_/ This is How We Create and edited and produced by Martine Severin and edited by Ray Abercrombie