Sydney Swisher

b. 1994 Olney, Illinois

Sydney Swisher is a self-taught painter from southern Illinois that specializes in oil on fabric paintings. In an era defined by technological acceleration, her work explores the intersections of memory, materiality, and machine intelligence. By prompting generated images through descriptions of childhood memories and referencing family film photos, she creates familiar yet digitally fabricated scenes that are then painted on thrifted textiles. Her work brings digital recollection into physical form and navigates contemporary paradoxes.

Her paintings honor the silent work that crafted the tapestry of the world we fall heir to. Scenes that are specific to no one but evoke collective nostalgia probe the evolving nature of human experience in the digital age. They allow us to step into a familiar time, to experience a sense of warmth and comfort that is often associated with home, and to have a deeper appreciation for the complexity of our unique history.

Solo Exhibitions

2024 - Fabricate, Peoria Art Guild, Peoria, Illinois

Group Exhibitions

2024 - Surreal Salon, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago

2024 - CatCon 2024, Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena California

2024 - Dawn is a Headspace, Night is a Feeling, Purple Window Gallery, Chicago

2024 - Cat Art Show, Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, Los Angeles

2023 - Ten by Ten, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago

2023 - Chicago Underground Film Festival Presents: Clusterfuck, The Kulture Museum, Chicago

Selected Press

Diamandis, Pia ‘Fabricated’ Art by Sydney Swisher: Tracing the Ephemeral Nature of Life in the Digital Age, ArtsHelp

Lazzaro, Sage How Artists are Using AI to Create Very Offline Art, Fortune

Rodriguez, Jolie Resourceful Artist Finds Success Through Painting on Thrifted Fabrics, 25 News

Akdemir, Dervis Interview with Sydney Swisher, Artchi

Education

2016 - BA, Mass Communications, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville