(Image from MFA St.Pete website)
ST. PETERSBURG | The crossroads of Blackness and womanhood will converge at The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg in Gio Swaby’s first solo exhibition “Fresh Up,” opening May 28.
Swaby incorporates textile-based techniques into portraits, paying homage to her seamstress mother. Swaby’s choice in media is meant to inspire a notion of familiarity, labor and care. These portraits are created with a desire to showcase the intricate personalities of each model within Swaby’s collection.
“My work operates in the context of understanding love as liberation, a healing, and restorative force. These pieces celebrate personal style, strength, beauty, individuality, and imperfections.” Swaby said.
Swaby describes the portraits of “Fresh Up” as love letters to Black women, depicted through the connections both model and artist build during the process of creating each piece of work. Swaby emphasizes empowerment in each model by aiming to capture their style and self-expression in her stitches.
Swaby earned her BFA in film, video and integrated media from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia and is currently completing an MFA in interdisciplinary art, media and design at OCAD University in Toronto, Ontario. This solo exhibition will feature more than 40 works, spanning between 2017 and 2021.
Gio Swaby’s “Fresh Up” will open to the public on May 28 at The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg and runs until Oct. 9. For more information, visit mfastpete.org.
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