Art Militant: Family Matriarchs, Fiber, and Afro-Caribbean Identity in Destyni Swoope’s Work

With much influence from her Afro-Caribbean heritage and South Florida upbringing, Destyni Swoope’s work bridges the gap between the reconnection to her roots, personal experiences, evolving identity, and representation with vibrant homescapes. The multimedia artist with a background in education, painting, digital art and design, informally known as “Desi”, uses her practice to create profound narratives exploring freedom and family through a distinct blend of mediums.

Her creations resonate with a deeply rooted commitment to expression through colors and elaborate composition, breathing life into emotion with stories that speak to the heart. Swoope articulates said emotions from experiences while simultaneously bridging cultural divides using the language of color, design and form. By combining fabrics, textiles, patterns and paint mediums she illustrates the idea of togetherness, placing unity at the forefront of her work to tell the story of a young girl growing up in her great-grandmother’s home. In our interview with Destyni, we discuss her influence and purpose as an artist.

You go on record saying your fiber practice is inspired by your grandmother. How was that experience? As a child did she allow you to knit with her or were you influenced by observing her?

“The decision to incorporate fiber in my practice was 100% inspired by my great-grandmother, “Abuela”. She sewed clothing for my dolls and my clothing as a baby, as well as my blankets - she also did the same for my mother and grandmother. A generational act of love. To this day, she sews for other family members and if we ever need alterations, we go to her. She was doing all of this purely for the love of doing it. Her joy sparked my passion for fiber but it wasn’t until I got older that I realized that I had access to this pure artist my whole childhood.”

In one of her works entitled, “Sunday Sewing” that was at her first solo show last fall, her great-grandmother’s talents are on full display as she sits before a sewing machine at the family dining table set for a hot beverage. Destyni’s choice of patterns and color palettes are all influenced by the articles of clothing her abuela would sew. She always pays respect to her abuela in one of her favorites in the series, "Well Kitchen" where she appears standing over the stove making the staple empanadas she’d prepare for weddings, parties and festive holidays.

“That’s our family tradition. I celebrate her in many of my pieces through her hands. She’s the family matriarch.”

Swoope emphasizes that constant early exposure to creativity directly influenced her interest in creating a body of work to pay homage to her family. Her mother was a radio personality and her brother was crafty with a pencil and also wrote music. As a child, she spent a lot of time with her uncle, who is a photographer, painter, graphic designer and played in a band. She was surrounded by talent and passion for the arts and she creates art for people who share the same curiosity and love for family and the culture of its unity.

While her work seems heavily informed by others it's also self reflective. Swoope realizes that her core identity is mended through her relationships with her subjects - she speaks through her community. “Each side of my family would meet and eat at grandma’s every Sunday after church so “Abuela’s House” really touches home with me.”

You've been preparing for two museum appearances in 2025. You have a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago this summer and this fall you're participating in a group exhibition at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. How has that process been for you?

“I definitely didn’t expect to be showing in two museums so early in my career. I'm actually still processing it all. One thing I'm extremely excited about is seeing my family’s initial reaction during the walkthrough. It’s going to be a very emotional moment for us especially since half of my family members have never been in a museum. Having access to these spaces is important to me but the opportunity for my loved one to see themselves immortalized in a museum is something I’m truly grateful for. The intentions behind my art have always been to build a legacy where the work I’m making transcends my own name - I want this body of work to keep my family’s name alive but also pay respects to our culture, heritage and existence here.”

The artist makes it clear that she doesn’t have one absolute process when approaching the canvas. Although there's a sense of familiarity in her practice amongst subjects, the environment and scenes in her paintings include a number of references like family portraits, and significant moments along with significant items from her Abuela’s home to communicate the diverse qualities of what it is to be Afro-Caribbean, and the cultures that have shaped her bold, multi-disciplinary creative.