84 years old and still going strong!

At 84 years old, most people are thinking of slowing down, or at least contemplating the thought. Sheila Hicks however, is doing the opposite. The prolific and perpetually innovative artist is currently exhibiting at The Bass in Miami and just concluded a show at Demisch Danant in New York City.

The Bass’ exhibition is a small retrospective of Hick’s works titled, “Campo Abierto” (Open Field). The show is a wonderful showcase of the artist’s love for the handmade.

Hicks began her career as a painter. Her experimentation with textiles began in the mid- 1950s while studying at Yale under the tutelage of Josef Albers. The famous Bauhaus member taught Hicks about structural organization, basic design, and color. It was when he saw her working with thread that he invited Hicks to meet his wife, Anni Albers. The textile master sparked an idea in Hicks.. she could combine Anni’s emphasis on structure with Josef’s color principals. This was the inspiration for Hicks to develop her completely unique style.

Recently, Hicks has become interested in biodegradable materials. This aspect goes hand-in-hand with her concern for longevity. While she knows that her work might someday disappear, she is confident that impression and memory remain strong.

Interestingly, Hicks says that she doesn’t always sign her work. She clarifies that it isn’t that she doesn’t want to authenticate her work but that she believes that with certain works, a signature will efface the artwork.

Since 1964, Paris has been Hicks’ adopted home-base. Prior to Paris, Hicks spent time in Mexico with Luis Barragán who encouraged her to continue on the path of textile works. Barragán was instrumental in helping Hicks stage her first show. It was here that Hicks began producing monumentally-scaled works that responded to the spaces in which they were installed.

In  1966, Hicks worked with weavers in Kozhikode, India at Commonwealth Trust, one of the oldest hand-weaving factories in the world. She worked on helping to develop designs for both the hospitality and the transportation industry, as well as for government organizations. Five years later in 1971, the Moroccan government invited her to help breathe new life into their carpet-making industry. Hicks used inspiration from traditional crafts, as well as the symbolism of the prayer rug used by Islamic worshipers.

Hicks likes to say that her first inspiration for fibers came from archeological photographs of mummy wrappings of both bodies and treasures encased in fabric for unknown centuries. The longer you sit and stare, more and more layers you see, and then, different perspectives are presented.

With more than eight decades of perspective, Hicks continues to inspire us with her innovative and colorful fiber-works. Lucky us!