Theda Sandiford
Bio/CV: Theda Sandiford is an award-winning self-taught fiber and installation artist based in Jersey City, NJ.
Using racial trauma as a starting point, Theda juxtaposes various fibers with a variety of found materials using free form weaving, coiling, knotting, crochet, and jewelry making techniques. Meticulously collected materials and community donations, transformed by their collective memory become “social fabric,” weaving together contemporary issues and personal narratives.
Community art making is key to her process. Theda curates’ multi-disciplinary experiences pairing people, sound and art making to create a safe space to explore themes such as equity & inclusion, sustainability, and personal wellbeing.
Theda has shown extensively nationwide; including Expo Chicago, Untitled Art Fair, SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW, Governor’s Island, New Jersey Arts Annual and American Contemporary Craft: National Juried Exhibition. Theda received Excellence in Fibers VI from Fiber Art Now, the 2020 Jersey City Arts, Visual Artist Award, the 2021 Fellowship in Craft from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and 2022 Jersey City Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship.
Artist Statement: Microaggressions are defined as subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — everyday interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial messages or assumptions toward historically marginalized groups.
The difference between microaggressions and overt discrimination, is that people who commit microaggressions are often unaware they are doing these things – and if you point it out to them, they say, “That wasn’t my intention, you are being too sensitive.” Which is yet another microaggression.
I often have the experience of people touching my hair without asking first, which makes me feel like a merchandise on display. The weight of these daily interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, anger, frustration, self-doubt and ultimately feelings of powerlessness and invisibility.
Using racial injustice as a starting point, I juxtapose various fibers with a variety of found materials using free form weaving, coiling, knotting, wrapping and jewelry making techniques.
Extensions of rope, wrapped, woven, knotted, and embellished with recycled bottle caps, zip ties and ribbons and lure you into a hue-imbued, installations symbolizing natural hair and body armor.
These bold whimsical sculptures gingerly invite the audience into off the-wall conversations about microaggressions, stereotypes and implicit bias. Each a meticulous collection of memories and unexpected materials, transformed by their collective memory to become “social fabric” weaving together contemporary issues and personal narratives.
Solo Exhibitions:
2022: Joyful Resistance, Ivy Brown Gallery, New York, NY. Expo Chicago, The Navy Pier, Chicago IL. Joyful Resistance, The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ 2021: Hiding in Plain Sight, Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (MoCADA), Brooklyn NY, Governors Island Summer Resident. 2020: Wonder Women, Bridge Art Gallery, Bayonne NJ
2019: Big Mouth, Art House Productions, Jersey City NJ
2018: Fragmented Identity Installation, A Condominium Jersey City NJ. Stair-Gazing: Theda Sandiford at Visual Arts Center of NJ, Summit NJ. Women of Wonder: Theda Solo Show at LITM Jersey City NJ
Solo Exhibitions:
2022: Sensing Woman, C24 Gallery, New York NY. Wonderland, Trolley Barn Gallery; Poughkeepsie, NY curated by Allison Glenn. Tell Me More About Yourself (Self- Portraits and Other Autobiographical Endeavors), Gallery Aferro, Newark NJ. Craft Nouveau, Blue Line Arts, Roseville CA, curated by Ariel Zaccheo, curator at the Museum of Craft and Design in SF. Visions & Voices, The Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, DE
2021: Untitled Art Fair, Udr Nw Mgt Booth #C26, Miami, FL. 14C Art Fair Juried Show, Jersey City NJ. Threads That Bind: When the Fabric of Social Culture Unravels, BWAC, Brooklyn NY. Recycle 2021 National Juried Show, BWAC, Brooklyn NY. Future Is Female 2021, sk.Artspace, Brooklyn NY. NJ Arts Annual: Revision & Respond, Newark Museum of Art, Newark NJ. The Social Fabric: Black Artistry in Fiber Arts, An Exhibition in Homage to Liki Craig at the Morris Museum, Morristown NJ. ViewPoints 2021, Studio Montclair, Montclair NJ. The Empowering, Art 150, Jersey City NJ curated by Danielle Smith. International Juried Exhibition, The Center for Contemporary Art, Juried by Victor Davson
2020: American Contemporary Craft: National Juried Exhibition, LHUCA Lubbock, Texas. New Directions 2020: 36th Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Barrett Arts Center, Poughkeepsie, NY. Juried by Nic Brierre Aziz. CraftHiltonHead2020, 7th National Juried Fine Art Craft Guild Exhibition, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Hilton Head Island, SC. Material Identity, Artworks Center for Contemporary Art, Loveland Colorado. Juried by Jiseon Lee Isbara. BWAC Wide Open 11, BWAC Brooklyn NY, Juried by Paulina Pobocha, Museum of Modern Art. FIBER 2020, Silvermine Galleries, New Canaan, CT. Curated by Beth C. McLaughlin, Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA. SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW, Imlay Gallery New York, NY. 14C Juried Exhibition, Jersey City, NJ. 41st Annual Juried Exhibition, Monmouth Museum, Linwood NJ. Finding Your Voice in America Today, Kelwood Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge LA 2019, Everyday Objects, Studio Montclair, Montclair NJ
2019: Spread Spectrum – A Modulation of Women Artists Speak, Newark Arts Festival, Newark NJ. GRAVITY [TIONAL], Newark Arts Festival, Newark NJ. Combined Talents 2019 Juried Competition, Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts; Tallahassee, Florida. Repurposed: 4th Annual Juried Exhibition, Arthaus Projects Williamsport, PA. Let Me Tell You A Story, Drawing Rooms, Jersey City NJ. Curated by Anne Trauben. Treaded: A Fine Art Fiber Collective, Envision Arts, Online Exhibition. “Give Me Body: Devine Femme”, The Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (MoCADA), Brooklyn NY, curated by Amy Andrieux
2018: International Juried Exhibition, curated by Dr. Midori Yoshimoto at The Center for Contemporary Art Bedminster, NJ. Body Glitch, Window Gallery at Paul Robeson Galleries, The Hahnes Building, Newark. Jerry Saltz: An Introspective, Curated by Adrian Wilson at Lazy Susan Gallery, New York, NY. Viewpoints 2018, Studio Montclair Gallery, juror, Gary Garrido Schneider, Montclair NJ 2018, BWAC Recycle, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Collective, New York, NY. Approaching Vibrancy, Gallery at 14 Maple curated by Mary Birmingham and Sarah Walko Morristown NJ. Sweet Music Never Heard until Diversity Plays Catch-Up: Contemporary African- American Thought, curated by Donna Moore, The Strand Center for the Arts, Plattsburgh, NY
2017: Edge, Novado Gallery curated by Thomas Banks, Jersey City NJ. BWAC Recycle, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Collective, New York, NY. No Limits, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair NJ. SuperWoman! 107 Bowers Art Gallery, Jersey City NJ
2016: BWAC Color, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Collective, New York, NY. New Jersey Arts Annual, The Noyes Museum of Art, Atlantic City NJ
Public Art:
2022: Free Your Mind and Emotional Baggage Carts @ Butter2 Art Fair, Indianapolis IN. Free Your Mind and Emotional Baggage Carts @ ArtCrawl Harlem, Governors Island, NY. Emotional Baggage Carts, Springfield Sculpture Walk, Springfield MO
2021: Emotional Baggage Carts, Summit Public Art: The Baggage We Carry, Summit NJ. Hiding in Plain Sight: Baggage Cart Installation, MoCADA House, Governors Island, NY
Awards and Publications:
2022: Seventh Annual International Exhibition in Print: The Fusion of Fiber Arts, Fashion & Design, Surface Design Journal. Individual Artist Fellowship, Jersey City Arts Council
2021: Honorable Mention, ViewPoints 2021, Studio Montclair, Montclair NJ. New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship in craft. International Juried Exhibition, The Center for Contemporary Art, 3rd prize.
2020: Excellence in Fibers VI, Fiber Art Now. Jersey City Arts, Visual Artist Award. Honorable Mention, American Contemporary Craft: National Juried Exhibition, LHUCA Lubbock, Texas. Honorable Mention, BWAC Wide Open 11, BWAC Brooklyn NY. NOW•FRIENDS Artist Residency, Kenya
2019: Student Choice Award, Combined Talents 2019 Juried Competition, Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts; Tallahassee, Florida
2016: “Twin” People’s Choice Award, BWAC Color, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Collective, New York, NY. Winner of the ArtQuench Gallery “My Life in Color” art contest.
Social: @misstheda