Artist Bio
Io the Alien is the alias of nationally-acclaimed textile artist, Sarah Spencer (b. 1982, Canada). Sarah is an artist, radio DJ, and educator based in Chicago. After spending almost 20 years in the corporate world, Sarah switched her focus to the arts in 2018, when she moved to the US and discovered a textile-based art practice. Sarah hosts a weekly music radio show highlighting emerging and underrepresented artists, which informs her creative practice. Sarah’s award-winning work has been featured in print, and exhibited in museums and galleries across the USA. Sarah recently won the Emerging Artist Award at Quilt Visions, a respected international exhibition of quilt art held biennially at Visions Museum of Textile Art in San Diego, CA.
Sarah is originally from Vancouver, Canada, where she spent much of her time involved in the local comedy scene, challenging herself to perform improv, stand-up, and sketch comedy. She also has a deep love of dance, particularly modern, fusion bellydance.
Artist Statement
I continually find myself drawn to the archetype of The Rebel. Whether through the lives of artists, writers or other thought leaders, I admire those who dare to carve out a life that pushes back against unhealthy social norms.
As a longtime independent radio host, I draw a direct connection between my life as a DJ and my life as a portrait artist. What satisfies me about both roles is my ability to honor deserving and, often, underrepresented individuals. In my portraiture, I choose my subjects with a light hand, selecting individuals who inspire me in the moment, and provoke thought. My portraiture is based on a deep respect for the individual, and my desire to amplify their message.
I also find inspiration in my materials. I work with cloth and thread: materials as old as humanity. I’m drawn to the tactility and familiarity of cloth, as well as the complexities of working with it. My designs are created by sewing different fabrics together with ¼” seams to form a single layer of fabric, which I then layer and add decorative stitches. My technique is unusual among those working in my medium, and requires precise engineering. It is exactly because my technique is challenging that I’m drawn to it, as it satisfies both the creative and analytical sides of my brain.
Working with cloth has long been associated with women’s work, and often dismissed as “craft,” and I aim to add my voice to the roster of disruptors currently challenging the media-boundaries of what is considered “fine art.” I’m emboldened by the generations of women who have worked in this medium before me, and consider my work to be rooted in feminist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-capitalist values.
