Gio Swaby | |
---|---|
Born | September 9, 1991 |
Nationality | Bahamian |
Alma mater | OCAD University Emily Carr University of Art and Design The University of The Bahamas |
Website | gioswaby.com |
Gio Swaby [1] (born Giovanna Swaby in 1991) is a Bahamian [2] textile artist [3] who grew up in Nassau, Bahamas. [4] [5] She currently lives and practices in Toronto, Ontario. [6] [3]
Swaby is well known for her textile portraits and silhouettes’ which she has created as "a love letter to Black women". [7] Her works are included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston among others. [6] [8]
Gio Swaby grew up in Nassau, Bahamas, with three older sisters and one younger brother. They were raised by their mother who was a seamstress. [7] As a child, Swaby was taught how to sew clothes for her dolls by her mother. [7] Her mother became a direct influence on her approach to art and creation. [4]
Swaby first studied art at the College of the Bahamas, before moving to Vancouver, Canada to attend Emily Carr University of Art and Design. [4] In 2016, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film, Video and Integrated Media. [9]
In 2022, she completed a Master of Fine Arts degree at OCAD University. [5]
Swaby was featured in the September 2022 edition of Essence magazine. [4] Additionally, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) featured Swaby's work in its “Juneteenth Artist Showcase". [10]
Swaby’s first solo museum exhibition Gio Swaby: Fresh Up! [11] [12] was co-organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Saint Petersburg and the Art Institute of Chicago. [13]
Gio Swaby: Fresh Up! first opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL on May 28, 2022 [11] and was scheduled to run until October 9, 2022, [8] however, due to hurricane Ian, the exhibition was closed one week early on October 2, 2022. [11] Gio Swaby: Fresh Up! is set to open at the Art Institute of Chicago on April 9, 2023. [12]
On April 12, 2022, a monograph of her work was published by Rizzoli Electa to coincide with her first solo museum opening. [14] It includes an exclusive interview between Swaby and Pulitzer Prize winner, Nicole Hannah-Jones. [13]
In 2022, she also exhibited at EXPO Chicago andher work was written about in the Chicago Sun Times . [15]
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