Zoe Cronin is an interdisciplinary fiber artist, gardener, and educator. She will earn a BFA in Art Education with minors in Fibers and Sustainability from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in May 2021. She spent the Fall 2019 semester studying in India where she participated in a block printing and natural dyeing workshop in Bagru, outside of Jaipur, Rajasthan. At the time of her graduation, she will be licensed to teach K-12 Visual Arts in Massachusetts, CELTA-certified to teach English to speakers of other languages, and hopes to teach art internationally one day. She is also a gardener, advocate for food sovereignty, and actively volunteers on urban farms in Dorchester, MA and Mattapan, MA.
@artbyzocro on Instagram
Artist Statement:
My practice investigates the intersection of environment, sustainability, textiles, craft, place, and community, through fibers, printmaking, and traveling. I study humanity’s relationship to material, environment, land, and nature as I teach, weave, knit, print, and experiment with natural dyes. My work brings 3D form to things in the natural that are unseen, misunderstood, or can only be imagined. I am fascinated by woven textiles and am deeply inspired by textile history, common humanity, and places I have traveled to. Cranberry bogs are also an ongoing source of inspiration.
Chemically produced dyes are known endocrine disruptors. What if our clothes were made of medicine instead of toxins? Turmeric is not only a vibrant yellow dye, it is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. The Turmeric T-Shirt encourages viewers to reclaim their autonomy and consider what they are putting on the outside of their bodies, as well as the inside.
