Welcome!

My name is Erin Peña (pronouns they/them) and I am a trans, nonbinary artist living and working in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. I primarily weave with seed beads and thread to create self-supported geometric sculptures and machines. I engineer my sculptures by deconstructing and reconstructing the world around me. I find joy and wonder in applying this process both to the natural world, and to the imaginative world of science fiction. My sculptures are amalgams of crystalline and organic, giving shape to my dreams and aspirations for the present and the future.

Bio

I come from a hands-on family. Growing up, I learned fiber arts from the women in my extended family. Counted cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting and crocheting were all parts of my instruction. From my father I learned the practicalities of building something to last and I watched and assisted as he rebuilt much of our home from scratch.

I’ve always worked with my hands. When I first started playing with beads it was as children do, stringing simple necklaces and making geckos out of pony beads. I never grew out of it, and in my late teens I began to learn various off and on-loom beading stitches until I came across peyote stitch. It stuck with me; peyote makes strong and uniform geometric components that are easy to combine together into fully three dimensional sculptures.

It wasn’t long before I outgrew the basic shapes I had graphs for, and I began to invent my own ways to make the shapes I visualized in my head. The more I learned about geometry, the more I expanded my horizons. I became so adept at peyote stitch that I had to figure out how to use drawing programs so I could graph the new shapes I wanted to bead.

I rely on the meditative practice of beading to keep me grounded, and I need the intellectual challenge of learning and building new kinds of geometry to keep me activated and engaged.

Looking ahead, I’ve been experimenting with different beading stitches, with lighting my work internally using LEDs, and with fabricating armatures to support larger and more complex projects. I’m excited to see where these new paths take me as I continue my journey.

Selected Shows and Awards

  • 2024, American Craft Council “Harlan Boss Scholarship” Awardee

  • 2024, Gamut Gallery “Call For Work:2024 Into the Madlands” Juried Show

  • 2023, American Craft Council “Emerging Artists Cohort” Awardee

  • 2023, Fresh Eye Gallery “Bona Fide” Juried Show

  • 2023, SooVAC Gallery “Untitled 17” Juried Show

  • 2023, North Suburban Center for the Arts “Kingdom Animalia” Juried Show

  • 2022, Gamut Gallery “C4W - Pinky Promise” Juried Show