The strength and resilience of nature—along with the unsettling mystery of the unknown—guide the focus of my practice. I create textural textile sculptures that investigate the connection and fissures between humanity and nature through ancestral craft practices of woodworking, weaving, spinning and botanical dyes. Hand bent wood frames twist and intertwine, coming off the wall and into three dimensional space. The frames then serve as a loom and woven elements create various plains, crevices and pockets of visual interest.

My process is largely intuitive and inspired by my materials. The wood-bending process operates as a collaborative exchange, responding to the natural directions in which the wood bends and twists. Recurring themes like roots, mushrooms and flowers speak to the search for nutrients, lifecycles, regeneration and interconnectedness. Botanically dyed cloth is incorporated, using the eco-printing process to create color and imagery that capture the intricate details of leaves and flowers foraged or grown in my garden. The materials I use participate in a broader conversation about our enduring relationship with the natural world—one shaped by reciprocity, reverence, and shared learning.

Natalie Sullivan is a contemporary fiber artist living and working in Richmond, VA. Recently her work has been shown at The Library of Virginia and Gallery 5 in Richmond, Artfields in Lake City, NC, Gallery 263 in Cambridge, MA and Hilliard Galley in Kansas City, MO. She is the recipient of Windgate Craft Artist Fellowship and will be an artist in residence at Vermont Studio Center in 2026. Sullivan holds an MFA from Pratt Institute and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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