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Connection Is At The Heart Of This Chicago Weaver’s Works
By Zlata Kozul Naumovski | Luxe Magazine | June 24, 2024
Fiber artist Bryana Bibbs spins and weaves textiles into wall hangings dripping with a kaleidoscope of yarns, a craft she learned while pursuing her degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Newcity Breakout Artists 2024: Chicago’s Next Generation of Image Makers
by Jen Torwudzo-Stroh | Newcity Art | April 2, 2024
It’s easy to assign a monetary value to artwork. Take the cost of materials and the cost of labor, add a surcharge for the gallery fee, and you’ve got a price. But it’s much harder to quantify the emotional value of an artwork. Artwork doesn’t appear in art galleries fully formed, unsullied by its surroundings. Art comes from people and their experiences, their messy lives and unprocessed trauma. That is what makes art truly valuable, the multitudes of humanity it contains. Multimedia artist and educator Bryana Bibbs approaches her work with this in mind. The result is beautifully woven layered artwork that is resonant and centered on emotional expression yet approachable and deeply human.
Jazz-Inspired Design: Ten Things to See at A Love Supreme—McCormick House Reimagined
by Vasia Rigou | Newcity Design | February 23, 2024
“What is your Coltrane story?” To reveal the artists’ personal and creative awakenings, curators Norman Teague and Rose Camara dig deep. Considering his own creative journey, one shaped by John Coltrane’s 1965 LP, “A Love Supreme,” the Chicago-based designer explores the cultural and spiritual depth of Coltrane’s music and jazz as well, echoing its influence on contemporary design in communities of color and reflecting societal shifts in American design history. An extraordinary fusion of music and design, “A Love Supreme: Norman Teague,” at the Elmhurst Art Museum, provides an immersive experience that leaves the viewer inspired and curious about the intersections of music, design and cultural heritage. Adding to the experience is the accompanying exhibition within Mies van der Rohe’s McCormick House. “A Love Supreme: McCormick House Reimagined,” a collaborative installation by Chicago BIPOC designers that casts a spotlight on those shaping the future of American design. Read on to uncover the stories behind ten of our favorite pieces.
Inside the Weave: A Conversation with Bryana Bibbs about “Places (Edition I)” at Tiger Strikes Asteroid
by Vasia Rigou | Newcity Art | October 12, 2023
In the ever-changing contemporary art landscape, few mediums resonate with the tactile intimacy of textiles. Bryana Bibbs, with her evocative “Journal Series,” invites the viewer into a world where every thread tells a story, every color evokes an emotion and every texture captures a moment in time. Her latest exhibition, “Places (Edition I)” at Tiger Strikes Asteroid (TSA) chronicles the artist’s travels, residencies and personal experiences, at the same time offering a window into her journey—both literal and metaphorical—from the roads of Chicago to the scenic landscapes of Maine and Tennessee. Through meticulous hand-carding, hand-spinning and hand-weaving techniques, she has woven her narrative, embedding it with found objects (fungi, shells, pine needles and more), gifts and memories. Complementing these textile tales is a first-ever-shown archive of Polaroids that provides an unfiltered glimpse into her adventures and creative process.
Artistic Meditation: Bryana Bibbs Explores Personal Narrative Through the Intersection of Weaving and Painting
by Jen Torwudzo-Stroh | Sixty Inches From Center | April 11, 2023
Narratives can be spun in a myriad of ways, from songwriting, painting, poetry, and sculpting; the only limit to any medium is the human imagination. And in many instances, the artist’s process of exploring and manipulating the medium is as intriguing as the content of the work itself. Textile artist Bryana Bibbs fuses weaving and painting to create an artistic style that is uniquely her own.
For Chicago artist, weaving textiles is a 'cathartic release' after years of trauma
by Audrina Bigos | CBS 2 Chicago | March 27, 2023
As we celebrate Black History Month, we meet Chicago textile artist Bryana Bibbs.
While she creates pieces bursting with texture, she also creates safe spaces for people dealing with the trauma of domestic violence. And as CBS 2's Audrina Bigos told us, her own story is woven through each piece and every conversation.