Meet Fiber Artist Kristy Bishop...

« Guest StylePublic post by Dalia Dalili 

Kristy Bishop is a strong force in the Charleston art scene. A graduate from College of Charleston with a concentration in painting, Kristy has clearly found her voice as a fiber artist. She’s business savvy and extremely talented, offering a rare technique using eco-friendly dyes she prepares herself, gathering local vegetation from gardens, roadside growth, and florists. She’s currently practicing (and mastering) a fascinating Japanese technique called shibori, which is a term for shaped resist tie-dyeing.

« When I started out working with dyes I was using synthetic ones from the art store just because it was an easy transition from painting.

« I really wanted to start working with natural dyes to get away from so many chemicals and have more of a direct connection to my medium. I primarily dye different types of silk using whole cloth dyeing, shibori (bind and fold resist technique), flower pounding, or steaming dyeing plant material directly onto cloth.

Using said dream-worthy materials like silk chiffon and organza, Kristy hand-dyes these textiles (a task in itself) using onion skin or eucalyptus for example, and constructs them into beautifully intricate wall art. This makes for a long process, but the outcome is definitely worth it. One must really witness her work in person to fully appreciate the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship that goes into each breathtaking piece.

She recently launched her online store where you can find more of her work, and even start your holiday shopping. She offers beautiful and easily attainable pieces like these flower pounded & shibori hoops.

See Kristy in action...

Or catch her this coming November where she will be teaching beginners natural dye classes at Spacecraft Studios and the Charleston Museum.

Kristy also initiated a local project called Charleston Support Art. This program is a way to directly connect artists to patrons and give the artists the opportunity to potentially be in the homes of countless collectors. The goal is to strengthen the link between artist and collector by giving the collector the whole story of the art & artist behind the work. Through this, artists have the potential to gain new relationships with patrons that before they had no access to.