Brittany Kiertzner

Brittany Kiertzner is a mixed media and fiber artist from Southern California. Kiertzner’s work of abstract embroidery transcends the boundaries of traditional stitching, creating a world of imaginative designs that describe her Indigenous heritage. Through a dynamic interplay of threads, colors, and textures, she reveals movement as the fiber lines appear like the lenticular effect. The artist's needle becomes a brush, and the fabric a canvas, where patterns emerge, feel animated and beckon you to engage the work. Recently, her work thrives on the liberation from strict realism, and explores unique nestlike or womblike shapes and experiments with various stitching and weaving techniques inspired by the traditional craft of the Iroquois Nation. This becomes a vibrant tapestry of creativity, inviting viewers to interpret and connect. 

As a Native American Indigenous artist, I knew that the intrinsic value of the work was important. I didn’t want to make work that was easily reproducible, and it needed to stand alone within its spirit.  At the same time, I was excited by the juxtaposition of colors familiar to my generation. Highly saturated, vibrant colors of the 80’s that brought about a playful mood to the focus of natural subject matter. So, I arrived at experiments that changed material, medium and processes to fit my narrative. Today, I feel more connected than ever with how fiber transforms its condition in shape, color theory and texture. How fiber can be a sculptural element, as free-floating lines on top of paint can be a sort of anchoring point and appear alive as you move around the work.  How working in embroidery fiber can generate new optical mixing, as it is woven and animalistic and ephemeral.