“Creating Art Is The Most Joyful Way
To Live Your Life”

I’m a mixed media fiber artist who started out as a quilter 25 years ago. I began quilting possessing absolutely no sewing skills. Quilting was the key to opening the door to a new world of discovery, creativity, and passion. My work has involved the creation of quilts and fiber arts using African, African American, Asian, Māori, Hawaiian and Indigenous fabric, objects, and embellishments as frames of reference, points of imagination, possibility, and storytelling.

My instincts lead me to the colors of indigo, blood orange, blue reds, yellow and earth browns as mediums of expression in my work.  I use beads, shells, paper, recycled objects, stones and fabric to provide background to my narratives.

Much later I discovered the joys and challenges of creating abstract quilted wall hangings, 3-dimensional art, Afro – centric Japanese stone wrapping and sashiko creations. I discovered an unknown freedom in those artistic endeavors.

I discovered these creations had the power of naming, renaming, or restructuring themselves. My creations often took days, weeks and sometimes months to put together. Sometimes their names and meanings remain hidden from me until a personal reflection occurred at the exact moment it was supposed to happen.

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Finally, my artistic spirit guide is the wolf – she is teacher, and she gives me knowledge of self, shows me patience, and she encourages the thrill of the hunt to discover what is possible.

Email: wadiyah.nelson@gmail.com

Instagram: @phillysister

Facebook: Wadiyah Nelson