Gio Swaby’s embroidered portraits are anchored in the connections she forges with her subjects: each piece begins with a photo shoot in which her sitters are captured in moments of self-awareness and empowerment. In her textile interpretations of the photographs, she foregrounds hair, clothing, and jewelry, highlighting and celebrating personal style as an unapologetic form of self-definition and self-expression. Join the artist for a conversation with Melinda Watt, chair and curator of Textiles, textile conservator Isaac Facio, and assistant director of interpretation Loren Wright. Together they discuss "Gio Swaby: Fresh Up" and the significance of care in mounting an exhibition that is, at heart, a love letter to Black women.
Conversation: Gio Swaby—Love Letters
The Art Institute of Chicago
May 23, 2023
