Heather Nuber
they/she
St. Paul, MN, USA
Heather Nuber is a queer interdisciplinary artist/instructor living and working in the Twin Cities. They have exhibited nationally and internationally, taught at craft schools, art centers, and universities, and participated in several residencies.
“Interpersonal dynamics and social interactions inspire my work, and I express these concepts through the exploration of form and material. I use simple offset shapes that have been described as ‘soft geometry,’ along with stack motifs to represent the one and the many. These forms and their relationship to each other are a reflection of our place in and out of community. Contemporary quilting methods, intimate details, and raw edges are incorporated to address relational characteristics, vulnerabilities, and all of our beautiful imperfections.”
"Green Blue Grey Shield", Cotton, vinyl, velvet, sterling silver, 14" x 6" x .5", 2023
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“My material choices are very much connected to my queerness. The mixing of materials, play with pattern, use of color are all choices that are made through the consideration of relationship, connections and identity."
"Pink and Citron Wrap Necklace", Vintage cotton, vinyl, linen, ripstop, nylon, embroidery floss, cotton cord, 72" x 1" x .5", 2023
“My work may not appear overtly queer, but it most definitely made through a queer lens. When I was first finding my visual language, I was deeply inspired by my grandmother's aesthetic and the domestic. I took quilt patterns and mid-century forms and offset them, creating my own new shapes. This was how I expressed the feeling of growing up, admiring the space she held for others without ever being able to visualize a similar life for myself. I have since reclaimed this idea of the domestic of home and relationship, one that is made up of joyous color, intimate details, and many connections. Much of my work has references to the one and the many; small block and stack forms interact with each other and can represent themes of otherness, inclusion and exclusion, community, and belonging."
Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
"Blue Ladder", Steel, powdercoat, paracord, 12" x 6" x .25", 2023