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About

Gio Swaby (born 1991) was born and raised in The Bahamas and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Swaby was recently the subject of her first solo museum exhibition in 2023, Gio Swaby: Fresh Up, at the Art Institute of Chicago.  The exhibition, co-organized by Katherine Pill, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and Melinda Watt, Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles, Art Institute of Chicago, it traveled to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Swaby’s work has been included in group exhibitions at Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Jacksonville, FL; Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN; Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN; African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN;  Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY; Kemper Museum, Kansas City, MO; Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA; National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas; Kunsthaus Alte Mühle, Schmallenberg, Germany; among others. Swaby’s work is included in collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum; the Speed Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; among others.

Selected Works

This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "As We Are: Gio." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 78" x 38" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (198.12 x 96.52 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“As We Are: Gio,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "Hi-Vis 5." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 28" x 24" x 1" [HxWxD] (71.12 x 60.96 x 2.54 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“Hi-Vis 5,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "Extremely and Uncritically Fond of You 3." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 48" x 31" [HxW] (121.92 x 78.74 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“Extremely and Uncritically Fond of You 3,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "As We Are: Zaneta." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 83" x 42" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (210.82 x 106.68 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“As We Are: Zaneta,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "A Way We Learn to Be: Zaneta." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 33" x 76" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (83.82 x 193.04 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“A Way We Learn to Be: Zaneta,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "As We Are: Ashante." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 78" x 45" x 1 ¹⁄₂" [HxWxD] (198.12 x 114.3 x 3.81 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“As We Are: Ashante,” 2025
This image depicts an artwork by Gio Swaby titled "Hi-Vis 6." This artwork was created in 2025 and measures 28" x 24" x 1" [HxWxD] (71.12 x 60.96 x 2.54 cm). Its medium is Cotton fabric and cotton thread stitched onto canvas.
Gio Swaby
“Hi-Vis 6,” 2025

Exhibitions

Born in Nassau, The Bahamas
Lives and works in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2022
MFA, OCAD University, Toronto, Ontario
2016
BFA, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, British Columbia
2012
The College of The Bahamas, Nassau, New Providence

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2025
"How We Go," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2023
"Gio Swaby: Fresh Up," Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
"Gio Swaby: Fresh Up," Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Il
"I Will Blossom Anyway," Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2022
"Gio Swaby: Fresh Up," Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, St Petersburg, FL
2021
"Both Sides of The Sun," Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
"Another Side to Me," 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London, UK
2018
"Rooted," The Current, Nassau, Bahamas
2017
"We All Know Each Other," Unit/Pitt Projects, Vancouver, BC

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
"Art Toronto," Claire Oliver Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
"Crosscurrents," Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY
"Domestic Idols," Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
Expo Chicago, Claire Oliver Galler, Chicago, IL
"The Experience of Expression," Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN
"Fabric of a Nation," Cummer Museum, Jacksonville, FL
"Shared Vision," African American Museum in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
"Thread: Making Patterns," Kemper Museum, Kansas City, MO
2023
"Daughter/ Mother/ Ancestor: Threads of Connection," Indianapolis Museum of Art, Galleries at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN
Expo Chicago, Claire Oliver Galler, Chicago, IL
"Fabric of a Nation," Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
2022
Expo Chicago, Claire Oliver Galler, Chicago, IL
"National Exhibition 10," National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas
2021
"Fabric of a Nation," Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA
"Rituals of Resilience," Minneapolis Institute of Artt, Minneapolis, MN
"Untitled Art Fair," Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami Beach, FL
2020
"Four Now," Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
"Net Worth," United Contemporary, Toronto, ON
2018
"Die Textile: Stoffsuche," Kunsthaus Alte Mühle, Schmallenberg, Germany
2017
"Übersee: Cuba and The Bahamas," Halle 14, Leipzip, Germany
2016
"National Exhibition 8," National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas
2015
"Map of the New Art," Giorgio Cini Foundation, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy
"Nassau Calling," HilgerBROTKunsthalle, Vienna, Austria
2014
"National Exhibition 7," National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas

Bibliography

2024
Armstrong, Byron. “Gio Swaby in ‘Focus’ at Art Toronto," Whitehot Magazine, October (Link)
Hanna, Yolanda. “Gio Swaby - Visual Artist," Up and Away: Bahamasair Inflight Magazine, April
2023
Pecci, Alexandra. "Artist Gio Swaby’s First Solo Show Brings Stunning Fabric Portraits to the Peabody Essex Museum," Northshore Magazine, October 4 (Link)
Whyte, Murray. “At Peabody Essex Museum, Gio Swaby’s Virtuosic Portraits of Black Women in Thread and Fabric," The Boston Globe, August 23 (Link)
Edquist, Grace. "Gio Swaby’s Stitched Portraits Reveal the Beauty of the Undone," Vogue, June 8 (Link)
Mothes, Kate. "Gio Swaby Embarks on an Exploration of Self-Love and Acceptance in Her Vibrant Textile Portraits," Colossal, May 23
WayneGuite, Jacqueline. “An Ode to Black Women," Chicago Reader, April 19 (Link)
Belmont, Sarah. "Gio Swaby’s First Museum Solo Show is a Celebration of Blackness and Womanhood," ARTnews, April 14 (Link)
Rigou, Vasia. “Styling as a Form of Resistance: A Review of Gio Swaby ‘Fresh up’ at the Art Institute of Chicago," Newcity Art, April 11 (Link)
Team EBONY. “Amazing Exhibits by Black Artists to Check out This Spring and Summer," EBONY, April 10 (Link)
"Gio Swaby: Freshen Up," The Art Institute Chicago, April (Link)
2022
Mothes, Kate. "Embodying Vibrance and Joy, Gio Swaby’s Patterned Portraits Celebrate Blackness and Womanhood," Colossal, December 28 (Link)
Jones, Okla. “Visual Artist Gio Swaby Wants to Leave a Legacy of Love through Her Work," Essence, September 27 (Link)
Jones, Okla. "8 Must-See Black Art Exhibitions To Check Out This Summer," Essence, September 7 (Link)
Holliday, Kayla. “Fiber Optics," Vanity Fair, June
DeYoung, Bill. “‘Fresh Up’: MFA Artist Gio Swaby Tells Personal Stories through Textiles," St Pete Catalyst, May 27 (Link)
Hannah-Jones, Nikole. “Nikole Hannah-Jones and Gio Swaby on Portraiture That Uplifts Black Women," Literary Hub, May 26 (Link)
Zhekova, Dobrina. “Gio Swaby’s Textile Portraits Are a Love Letter to Black Womanhood," Harper’s Bazaar, April 6 (Link)
2021
Long, Stephanie. "The Black Vanguards Who Inspired Us In 2021," Refinery29, December 16 (Link)
Cascone, Sarah. “In Miami, Buyers Hit the Beach for Untitled Art Fair-to Gallerists’ Palpable Relief. Here’s What’s Sold so Far," Artnet News, November 30 (Link)
Cascone, Sarah. "Meet Artist Gio Swaby, the 29-Year-Old Phenom Whose Sold-Out Debut Boasted Buyers Including Eight Museums (and Roxane Gay)," Artnet, June 4 (Link)
Louis, Pierre-Antoine. "A Love Letter to Black Women," The NY Times, April 10 (Link)

Selected Awards & Grants

2024
Canada Council for the Arts, Explore and Create: Concept to Realization
2023
Canada Council for the Arts, Explore and Create: Research and Creation
2022
Canada Council for the Arts, Explore and Create: Concept to Realization
OCAD University, Dean’s Scholarship
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
2021
BC Arts Council Scholarship 2021
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship
OCAD University, Dean’s Scholarship
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
2020
British Columbia Arts Council, Individual Arts Grant: Visual Artist
British Columbia Arts Council, Scholarship
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship
OCAD University, Dean’s Scholarship

Public Collections

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY
Central Bank of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas
Harper House, Detroit, MI
Indianapolis Museum of Art Galleries at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
MSU Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, MI
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA
National Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
RBC Art Collection, Toronto, ON, Canada
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY
The Baha Mar Collection, Nassau, Bahamas
Weisman Art Museum , Minneapolis, MN