On Friday, October 25, students gathered on campus at Virginia State University’s Fauntleroy Hall to learn the basics of needle felting and make their own creations with Nastassja Swift, an accomplished, award winning artist and VCU alumni.
The event was the last of the Visiting Artists Series of the semester. The events were put on by VSU’s Art and Design Department which included workshops and artist lectures, and featured several other artists.
During the workshop, Swift walked students through the process of needle felting and told them to create a piece of something that brought them joy. After the workshop, Nastassja gave a lecture where she gave insight into her life, how she got interested in art, and some of the inspirations for her pieces.
Her inspiration and dedication comes from multiple sources: her family, her lived experience, Black women, and her love for the communities she steps into. One of her first inspirations was her mother, who was also an artist. She credits her mother’s creativity as a source that her own passion stemmed from.
“My initial inspiration was my mother. I grew up looking at the art she made during her high school years, and I wanted to do what she did. That feeling has stayed with me since,” Swift said.
“I love looking to literature, specifically that of Black women. Sonia Sanchez is like my North Star when I’m stuck or need help imaging something. I often turn to her work. Black women in general are honestly who I look to. Our stories, history and presence in this universe drive me. Black women are my biggest influences: our hair, our style, our love, ability to pivot/shift/adapt/survive, our creativity. Whether an artist, a poet or my grandmother, it’s Black women.”
While a majority of her projects now are made from wool in combination with other mediums, she initially went to VCU and was set on being a painter. Her painting aspirations changed when she was given a project in her fibers and material class that challenged her at first, then sparked a new passion.
“I was first introduced to wool in undergrad at VCU. My work was always figurative but as paintings, and I really wanted to get into sculpture. When I first tried the needle felting process I immediately knew it would let me do that,” Swift said.
After this, she minored in crafting material studies and has since gone on to create wool sculptures, quilts, and other pieces. Even though she has experience with different materials, Swift isn’t immune to artistic challenges.
“Often I face the challenge of wanting to incorporate a detail that I’m not skilled in. Glass, woodworking, metal etc. And because I’m not someone that likes to sacrifice a visual detail that feels right just because I don’t know how to do it, one of the biggest ways I overcome that is commissioning other artists for parts of the work. I’d much rather pay an artist that knows what they’re doing to create that part of the work for me than to scrap that idea or poorly execute it myself,” Swift said.
Some of Swift’s most eye-catching pieces include wool masks. In her first collaborative project, “Remember Her Homecoming,” she made huge wool masks for the women performing in the short film. She also made blue wool masks for Black youths to wear in a parade she set up, which she says got the inspiration for from a dream.
“My creative process varies from piece to piece: sometimes I’m working from a dream I had of my work, and I try my best to note all the details I remember seeing- from color, texture, sound etc. and then there are times where I’m responding to something I read, heard or saw,” Swift said.
She has participated in and created several short films, documentaries and workshops. A notable workshop she created was one where underprivileged kids could come and learn the basics of needle felting.
Swift prioritizes accessibility which is shown by the workshops she sets up and even by the Visiting Artist event at VSU, which was free of charge and where all majors were able to participate regardless of their artistic abilities.
After the workshop and lecture, she opened the floor to questions and after answering, she individually met and had conversations with any student that wanted to talk to her, had questions or just wanted to introduce themselves.
“I hope my audience finds some kind of entry point into the stories that I’m telling where they have a moment of seeing themselves in the work. I hope they take time to reflect or remember, and to be aware of those feelings from that reflection,” Swift said.
Nastassja Swift’s journey started from being a young artist inspired by her mother to being an accomplished artist today. Through her teaching, collaborations, and incredible artwork, she continues to make an impact both in the art community and beyond. As the Visiting Artists Series ends for the semester, students are walking away not just with new skills, but with a deeper appreciation for the artistic process, the artists behind the art, and the important role that community plays in cultivating creativity.
