Tenee’ Hart is an ‘unconventional’ fiber sculpture artist pursuing themes of feminism that delve into topics of beauty, anatomy, and the inequality of women. Wrapped fibers, gushing forms, and the manipulation of the ‘everyday’ are crucial components within Hart’s works. Her abstract forms remain committed to an intriguing physicality that comes from palpable and intentional material usage. Hart hails from Virginia, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mary Washington in 2011. Later, Hart earned her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University, where she has been teaching, at the college level, since the completion of her degree in 2015. Hart is currently the Lead Fibers Instructor and Co-Head of the Online Distance Learning (ODL) program for FSU | Department of Art. Beyond her role as an educator, Hart is the sole Graduate Advisor + Coordinator for the Department of Art at Florida State University.

ARTIST STATEMENT 

Sitting at my grandmother’s feet, the thunderous roar of her sewing machine would cease with a sudden clank of the lever falling into place, the sound of an unraveling spool led to the severing of this single tie. Excess would be snipped away, and with each pass of the metal edges, the pile would grow larger. I was lured to these remnants sinking into the carpeted floor, their frayed edges and abstract bodies. Sifting through the rubble consumed me, knotting ragged ends together to create a bouquet of mishmash worthy of praise.

Similar to most craft-based processes such as knitting, weaving, and sewing – my practice is process-based. Influenced by the artistic traditions such as craft, labor, and the act of making, I embrace these practices that are considered ‘the domestic’ or ‘women’s work’ as a form of empowerment and resistance to this long-held perception. There is evident interest in domestic materials, material culture, and what these tactile objects are capable of symbolizing. When considering their inherent properties and limitations, I liberate these household trappings’ intended use in favor of its’ aesthetic capacities. Through delicate and sometimes aggressive material manipulation, I aim to challenge the traditional connotation of such ‘everyday’ materials.

Throughout my practice I pursue themes of feminism that delve into topics of beauty, anatomy, and the inequality of women. I embed personal narratives through material context and nostalgic visual languages. My wrapped, knotted, and house-paint-slathered sculptures resemble abject mutations of female anatomical forms. Subverting the spectacle of decoration I push the seductively beautiful towards the overwhelming artificial. Combining, re-contextualizing, and reconfiguring disparate materials is my way of reconciling my role as a woman and challenging the societal expectations ingrained in us all.