Fin’es Scott (b. 1983) is a Seattle-based textile artist who explores themes of Black joy, rest, Afrofuturism, and environmentalism. Her work is the antithesis of Black trauma, which is often exploited in art and media.
Her process involves creating artwork by combining traditional craft with modern digital tools. Her process is slow and crafted with care. It involves digital collage, custom textiles, sewing, quilting, hand beading, and metal leafing. She enjoys implementing techniques of Black quilting traditions while creating methods to modernize the craft.
Scott is committed to keeping her art accessible and approachable to her community.
She studied design in New York City and has been sewing and illustrating for over 20 years.
Q & A
Q: Where does your creativity come from?
A: From lived experiences and commitment to my craft but also from the ancestors.
Q: You say your work is the antithesis of Black trauma. Can you tell me more about Black trauma?
A: No.
Q: What is the narrative of your work?
A: My figures are cosmic celestial beings that pool from the very existence Black creativity. Somewhere between the distant past, the far away future, and everything between.
Q: You have pretty floral fabrics. Where can I buy some?
A: I don’t use commercially made print fabrics. All of the designs and fabrics are designed by me in Photoshop. Once everything is just right I have my fabrics printed in small batches. I don’t sell my fabrics by the yard.
Q: What type of fabric do you use?
A: Quilters cotton with custom illustrated designs by me.
Q: What type of sewing machine do you use?
A: A mid-arm semi-industrial sewing machine. A Brother PQ1500SL. I'd love to have a longarm machine in the future but for now, my Brother gets it done.
Q: Do you do other types of art?
A: I’ve explored many different types of visual art and creative practices. Sculpture, printmaking, paper collage, painting, illustration, fashion design, toy design, graphic design, pattern making, woodworking, and probably others. Those are the ones I can think of.
Q: Do you have a favorite textile that you've made?
A: My favorite textile is whichever textile I’m currently working on. I have the same feelings of joy for each textile I make. But also the very first textile I made in this style of artistry holds a special place in my heart. I made the exact same textile three or four times until it felt right. Once I got it, I realized I was on to something.
Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a textile artist?
A: Make sure you're taking care of your body during the crafting process. Get an ergonomic chair, stand up straight, take breaks, stretch your arms and back, and give your eyes a rest.
Q: What are your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for visual arts?
A: AI in visual arts creates as many wonderful possibilities as terrible harms. I've used it before with great success as a time saving brainstorming tool. Like thousands of other artists, I've also had my work used to train the AI models without my permission.
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