We were lucky to catch up with Charmel Lester recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Charmel , thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project that I have worked on has been teaching crochet to students and adults in St. Croix, USVI. Last summer for the entire month of June, I had the privilege of being an Artist in Residence in at The Caribbean Center Museum for the Arts in Frederiksted, St. Croix. I taught children how to use fabric, yarn, paint and other mediums to create art.

Along side with teaching the children during the week, I also had the opportunity to teach crochet classes to high school students and adults on the weekends. We were able to create 2 beautiful murals that were displayed at the museum. Seeing the excitement on the students faces once the mural was complete was so exhilarating. The children from the summer camp also participated in the mural by attaching fringe to the one of the pieces.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been a fabric artist for about 4 years now. My main medium that I work with is yarn, via crochet. I started crocheting about 15 years ago but decided to turn my hobby into a business in 2020. During the pandemic, everyone was down depressed and scared. I was speaking with my mentor at the time and decided that I wanted to start yarn bombing. My first yarn bomb I created was on a neighbor’s tree at the end of my street. Then I decided to start yarn bombing areas in my downtown city to bring life and color to the area. I yarn bombed a few trees and also a light post. I also use my art to bring awareness to certain community problems. One of my most prized pieces was a mural that said “Stop Killing Each Other” that I put on a fence at a business near a busy intersection to bring awareness to the violence in my neighborhood. The piece was a collaborative effort with other crochet artist from around the United States as well. So, also say that my work can be used as a form of activism and protests too.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goals that drive my creative journey is that I want to create crochet pieces, big and small, for major brands.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is being able to use my voice and express it in different ways that are not too controversial.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,charmelscreative.com
• Instagram: @charmelscreative