5 Things I Learned From Sheila Hicks
I met pioneering fiber artist Sheila Hicks at the Nasher. Here are five things I learned from her.
Cover photo: Detail from a scanned postcard of Sheila Hicks with her work in front of the Carnavalet Museum, Paris, France (2016). Photo by Cristobal Zanartu.
Sentinel of Saffron, pigmented acrylic fiber, by Sheila Hicks, 2018, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas, USA (2019).
Sheila Hicks
Sheila Hicks, born 1934, is a pioneering American artist who has blurred the boundaries of craft, design, and fine art. She developed an interest in weaving and studied textiles in South America. Hicks has proven a vital figure in the textile world throughout the last sixty years.
Hicks has collaborated with the furniture company Knoll and the historic Commonwealth Trust Handweaving Factory in India; the Moroccan Government personally invited Hicks to assist in re-invigorating the country’s rug-making industry, and she even decorated The Outlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining.
I first saw Hicks’ work in 2017, at the Venice Biennale. Her style is vibrant and beautiful, with a great attention to color and detail. When I heard she would be speaking at the Nasher Sculpture Center, with art critic Tyler Green, I knew I had to go—and bring my dear crafting friend Abby with me.
Here are five things I have learned from Sheila Hicks.
1. Appreciate Textiles
Textiles were among humanity’s first inventions. Hicks’ innovative use of fiber brings attention to this overlooked and underappreciated aspect of our world. Hicks notes, “I’ve conducted workshops where I ask everyone to get undressed and to examine the materials they’re wearing layer by layer.” Hicks’ textural artworks seem even more precious today, as the average American spends increasingly long hours staring at screens while consuming digital media.
2. Be Bold
Hicks was one of the few women students at Yale in the late 50s and there were no female teachers. Hicks was studying painting when she first became interested in Incan textiles. She was not deterred from pursuing what could be considered a ‘domestic’ or ‘feminine’ medium. Hicks subsequently traveled to Chile on scholarship and she learned from locals all over the South American continent. Still today, she continues to make larger and bolder works. “As I get older I get braver,” Hicks says.
3. Learn From Others
Hicks has made a practice of embracing local cultures and techniques. She studied textiles while in South America and she has since collaborated with local communities in South Africa, Morocco, India, and France. Hicks has been described as an anthropologist, documenting the styles, materials, and traditions of people across the world.
4. Be Resourceful
Hicks strives to use local materials. She created artworks with wool while in Latin America and linen in France. Hicks has also begun using industrial synthetic fibers, which allow her to make larger scale works that can better endure the outdoor elements. Today Hicks lives in Paris and she creates projects with discounted leftover materials sold to her from French fashion suppliers.
5. Never Stop
“I work every day,” declares Hicks. She is known to carry around a hand loom with which she creates minimes, miniature woven pieces, of which she has made thousands. Hicks, now 85 years old, is not slowing down. She just recently collaborated with fashion designer Stella McCartney, creating couture art pieces for the runway. Hicks jokes, “What's retirement?”
Nasher Sculpture Center
Listening to Sheila Hicks talk about her life and work was a total pleasure. She possesses an enviable joie de vivre and is as vibrant in person as the work she creates.
I definitely recommend everyone see the exhibition Sheila Hicks: Seize, Weave Space at the Nasher Sculpture Center, which is on view now, through August 18th.
Adult tickets are $10 and student tickets are $5. Entrance to the Nasher is free on the first Saturday of every month.
