Nastassja Swift, a multi-disciplinary artist, delves into the rich narratives and aesthetics of blackness through her evocative figurative wool sculptures. Her work serves as an homage to West African culture, spirituality, and perspectives, crafted meticulously with needle-felted wool. Swift’s sculptures are more than just art; they are powerful statements that explore themes of identity, history, and the collective memory of the African diaspora.
Her fiber-based figures often come together in large assemblies, creating a profound impact that resonates with conversations around anti-Blackness and the enduring legacy of slavery. These gatherings are not just visual spectacles but also thought-provoking installations that question sentiments, practices, and memories that persist into contemporary times.
I am a sculptural fiber artist, redefining my use of portraiture through wool to create soft sculptures that speak to spirituality, history and place in relation to the body. Inspired by West African masks and Yoruba ritual practices, my work explores the ways in which identity is defined and disrupted. Re-interpreting who can be worshipped, challenging archived history and questioning language around racialized bodies, these felted faces exist repetitively as vessels of stories and ancestral presence as a way of narrating Black stories, experiences and memories.
Nastassja Swift
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