Gio Swaby: Fresh Up @ MFA St. Petersburg FL

The Bahamian-born artist Gio Swaby sews portraits in fabric and thread that she has called “love letters to Black women.” She starts with a photograph of the subject, and in the series “Pretty Pretty” the resulting works are life-size for extra monumentality. The show’s more than 40 works demonstrate how Ms. Swaby emphasizes the unique personal style of her subjects, with color and pattern taking on a life of their own.