NAOMI LAWRENCE

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Originally from England, UK, the self-described fiber artist is based in New York City. Her work has been installed in public parks, educational facilities and public spaces throughout the city but is most visible in her own community, the Northern Manhattan neighborhoods of East and Central Harlem.

The artist works primarily with acrylic yarn to create large scale 2-Dimensional art installations. Her work is freeform, she does not follow a pattern. Designing from photos of nature which are often enlarged so that she can reproduce the subtle changes in color and texture that add a depth of field to her work.

Her installations take several months to produce but are usually approved by the city to stay in place for up to one year becoming part of the urban landscape. They are then washed, restored and often gifted to have a second life in a new location.

In 2014, the artist who studied Floral Design at the University of Arts in London, created Blue Iris, a site-specific art installation that endeared her to East Harlem residents who embraced the work as a gift of flowers to the community. The artist has been creating floral and nature inspired installations ever since.

Public engagement is a primary goal of each installation and while the audience is made up by a significant number of people who live, work, and pass by in their daily lives, the installation sites have become destinations for visitors from all over the city and beyond.

The artist who worked as a florist before immigrating to the U.S. has been experimenting with yarn and textiles to create art since 1999. In 2009 she started to focus on crochet stitches. Inspired by yarn bombing that she saw on social media she reinvented the medium taking it to a new level that led to awards from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center allowing her to expand her practice to include large scale murals and to hire women from the neighborhood, recognizing their skills as multigenerational artisans. Lawrence has exhibited at Yarnbombing Festival Trivento Milan 2021 and 2022, Walls Ortiz Gallery in Harlem, The Yard Williamsburg Brooklyn, FLUX 2016, Sydney FiberFest 2015,