Afro-Caribbean portraitist Kandy G. Lopez is rapidly emerging as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary art, earning comparisons to the late Barkley L. Hendricks for her fearless depictions of Black identity, confidence, and style—this time rendered not in paint, but in fiber.
Lopez first captured widespread attention after her vibrant, larger-than-life fiber portraits drew crowds at the 2024 Armory Show in New York. Set against the sprawling backdrop of the Javits Center, her work stood out for its striking fashion-forward subjects, saturated colors, and commanding presence.
From neon bucket hats and leopard-print trousers to oversized eyewear and unapologetic poses, Lopez’s figures radiate swagger and self-possession.
What appears photorealistic from a distance reveals its true complexity up close. According to Vogue, each portrait is meticulously hand-embroidered, a labor-intensive process Lopez has refined over the past four years. Working six to eight hours a day, a single piece can take more than a week to complete.
Alongside her studio practice, Lopez balances her role as an associate professor at Nova Southeastern University and her responsibilities as a mother of two.
The year 2025 marked a turning point in her career. Lopez won the Orlando Museum of Art’s People’s Choice Award, secured a prestigious residency with the Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design—where she will stage a solo exhibition in 2026—and mounted her first international solo show at the Florence Fondation in Paris. These milestones have cemented her growing reputation beyond the United States.
Her second solo exhibition with ACA Galleries in New York, Textile Truths: Faces of Resilience, running through January 17, 2026, showcases an artist pushing the boundaries of fiber art. Lopez introduces three-dimensional elements such as cowrie shells, experiments with negative space, and allows hair, shoes, and accessories to extend beyond traditional borders—an intentional breaking of the frame that asserts the agency of her subjects. The effect is both theatrical and deeply personal, as if the figures refuse to be contained.
At the heart of Lopez’s work is representation. Though she portrays members of her Miami community—friends, family, and even strangers whose style catches her eye—she describes each piece as a kind of self-portrait. Born to Dominican parents and raised in New Jersey, Lopez has spoken about grappling with identity until relocating to South Florida, where she felt fully seen. That personal journey informs her focus on Afro-Caribbean, African American, Haitian, and Dominican subjects, often dressed in clothing that blends cultural heritage with contemporary flair.
Her influences range from Renaissance artists known for depicting power and regality, to Faith Ringgold, Dawoud Bey, and Barkley L. Hendricks. Gold mesh backgrounds, elongated forms, and low-angle perspectives lend her sitters a sense of majesty, transforming everyday people into icons.
Community remains central to her practice. Large-scale group works like City Girls and its companion piece City Boys celebrate collective identity, friendship, and resilience. For these works, Lopez often invites sitters to bring others along, turning the process into a social exchange as much as an artistic one.
Looking ahead, Lopez shows no sign of slowing down. Her 2026 calendar includes a group exhibition at the North Dakota Museum of Art and a solo show at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. She is also experimenting with incorporating fiber into glass and ceramics, exploring contrasts between strength and fragility—an ongoing metaphor for the people she portrays.
With her fusion of fashion, history, and meticulous craftsmanship, Kandy G. Lopez is not only redefining fiber art but also expanding the visual language of Black portraiture for a global audience.
