Q: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

A: Hi! I’m Natalia Fedner, and I am mainly known as a wearable art designer for celebrities. My clients include Beyonce, Cher, Lenny Kravitz, and many others. The pandemic brought me back to my fine art roots, and I started to work on sculptures and wall art in 2020. After a very successful initial show at Art Basel Scope art fair in 2021, I decided to focus more energy on the art side of my career. My vision as an artist is helping others experience the world through texture- using my patented 6-way stretch metal textile as the conduit. I love it when people interact with my pieces – please do touch them! 

Q: What is your background?

 A: I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, and immigrated to Ohio when I was 6 years old. 

Q: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

A: Work hard, work uniquely, and be kind. I like to invent new things- new techniques. It takes hard work and long hours to be a self-funded business owner, but it’s equally important to be nice to people. I really think kindness and personal relationships are the secrets to any long-term success. 

Q: What artist(s) inspire you?

A: I like kinetic sculptors like Anthony Howe. I love the fluid lines of Alphonse Mucha. Wearable artist Iris Van Herpen is a contemporary designer who also inspires me with her frequent collaborations with other artists, architects, and scientists. Other artists I enjoy are Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Lempicka, and fashion illustrators Erte and Antonio Lopez.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?

A: To be true to me and not change myself to fit anyone else’s vision of me. This advice actually makes it much easier for me to make important business decisions and helps me determine how to best spend my time. I am constantly checking in with myself- and only work on projects that bring me joy. If it doesn’t make me happy, I won’t participate. Life is too short to spend time doing things you don’t love.

Q: When you are not working, where can we find you?

A: Hanging out with my puppy Mia (a black lab mix, we think) and watching 90’s tv show reruns. 

Q: What does exhibiting at Red Dot Miami 2022 mean to you?

A: It’s very exciting – I feel like I get to present my art to the world in the exact way I envision it. I visited the fair in 2019 and had so much fun speaking to all the gallerists and artists. Everyone was so friendly. I’m excited to be on the other side this year and can’t wait to meet other artists during the fair!