We were lucky to catch up with Katie O’Keefe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I can talk a bit about my process creating one of my most recent works “Entwined Repose”. I have been struggling to rest and fall asleep lately. Primarily because no matter which way I lay I am in some kind of pain. It’s hard to quiet the mind and I find myself tossing and turning looking for a comfortable place of rest. I thought about how I could communicate this history of movement. I did multiple hand drawn studies of the stages of this toss and turn movement and then focused on four of the poses and came up with the composition you see now.

I needed to blow-up these four drawings to life-size so I tracked down a cheap large format printer and scaled them up to use as a template for my color lay out. This was a little nerve-racking and honestly a bit funny as I tried to be super discreet in the store, hoping no one would notice I was printing out four life-sized nude self-portrait drawings. You know, you have to make use of the tools you have access to.

Each figure in this work is formed by strategically cutting and ripping tulle fabric into shapes and layering them atop one another to blend the colors, like a painter would mix paint. Using a straight-stitch sewing machine, a pile of colorful tulle fabric and dissolvable interfacing I stitch along my hand drawn lines to build up layers of shading and line-work. With the four life-sized figures this work is about 5′ 6″ wide, 5′ height and took around 300hrs to stitch. The transparency of these materials offers a doorway into the marks that were made in each individual layer throughout this intricate process. I used the color red as an indication of the unseen. It could be emotion, duality of self, physical sensations or past experiences. In this piece I used the Red to show all the past movements and work that went in searching for this place of rest; with the figure in the front in a more realistic palette as the final pose. Asleep at last.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a figurative fiber artist based in Baltimore MD. I grew up in the Hudson Valley NY, which at the time was the Lyme capital of the world. I stitch together layers of sheer fabric; “painting” an intimate picture of my healing journey living with a Chronic Illness. Before I even touch a needle and thread to create a new piece of work, I build it in my mind. When the pain in my body starts to grow I stop, and breathe deep. Instead of panicking at the pain I morph it into ideas of electric energy dancing throughout my body. I think about what my body is trying to tell me, “Do I need to shift my position, do I need to drink more water, or do I need to rest and ride it out?” Whichever path I take, reforming the idea of pain from attack to information helps me process through it and retain a positive outlook. Most of the time the people around me never know when I am walking myself through these steps. Art is powerful in its ability to reach past these barriers we put up and hold space for an honest conversation. I find that when I allow myself to be truly vulnerable in my art making it gives people a sense of permission to lift off their own masks.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I found Fiber as a material out of necessity. As a teen I had fallen ill with severe Neurological Lyme that had temporarily affected my mobility of the right side of my body. Up until this point I was making art with traditional 2D Fine Art material(i.e. paint, charcoal, pastel) but I could no longer hold and use these tools as I was trained to. Making Art at the time became entirely frustrating. I knew the marks I wanted to create with my brush but I could’t translate these thoughts from brain to hand.
I found ways to adapt my creativity and picked up a needle and thread. I worked primarily on small Craft projects, many of which never saw the light of day. It kept me making and I found comfort in the softness of the material and the slow, methodical, stitching process calming. I managed to graduate high school on time and received my BFA in Fiber Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I began to fold in my previous training in classical painting with that of the rich material metaphors embedded in working with fabric and thread.

As a student I learned about Fiber’s long history associated with Women’s Work. Because of this, Embroidery has long been undervalued as a creative practice. While the current Craft moment is starting to tear through this fabricated inaccuracy, we have a long way to go before we find ourselves on equal footing in the Fine Art work of Painting and Sculpture.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

One of the best ways I have found to get and stay well connected is by showing up to support other Artists. Baltimore is a small city, where everyone knows everyone. There is a strong creative support in the city where everyone is excited to see each other succeed. I make sure to go to as many Art Openings and Art related events as I can in the Baltimore area and I share resources and connections with other Artists that I meet. I am a firm believer that we all have something unique to offer as Artists and as people and that we are strongest when we build a community together. Never underestimate the power of being a kind person and listening to what those around you have to say.

When an opportunity comes your way there is always a chance it will lead to another opportunity. I started taking classes at the Baltimore Jewelry Center a few years ago where I learned small scale metal smithing. It was such a warm community of makers where we would ping-pong ideas back and forth and it helped me grow so much as a maker. This past year I applied for their One Month Emerging Artist Residency and got in. At the end of my Residency I had a small solo show to exhibit the work I made during my time there. Through that show I was contacted by a person who wanted to see more of my work in person. I set up a studio visit with them and they ended up buying one of my pieces. We kept in contact over email and they ended up buying two more pieces. With a little bit of added financial freedom I was able to secure a larger studio.

I met my new studio-mate about a year ago after they reached out about wanting to see some of my work in-person. I had just participated in an Open Studio’s event in my neighborhood, but they weren’t able to make it that day. So I arranged a time that worked for both of us. They ended up curating me in a couple shows afterwards including the show “Warp and Weft” at Howard County Community College showcasing Maryland female Fiber Artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bakerartist.org/portfolios/katieokeefe
• Instagram: katieostudio
• Other: This year I am a Finalist among 5 other Visual Artists for a Baker Artist Award! Here is a link to the publication page: https://bakerartist.org/about-us/blog/2024-baker-artist-award-finalists-announced

Image Credits