ARTIST / TEXTILE PORTRAITURE / STORYTELLINGCurrent exhibition
New Haven, Connecticut · Working internationally
Textile portrait artist, visual storyteller and a maker of work that honors the richness of human experience.
SCULPTURAL FIBER WORKClara Nartey is a contemporary textile portrait artist based in New Haven, Connecticut. Born in Accra, Ghana, her practice brings together printed fabrics, quilting and free-motion stitching to create richly layered works. Her graduate background informs the precision and structure beneath her vibrant surfaces.
Her portraits celebrate identity, connection, cultural memory, African heritage, migration and the everyday power of joy. Thread becomes a way to honor the people, histories and experiences that shape a life.
Through vibrant color, intricate texture and material experimentation, she builds visual narratives that invite viewers to look closer. She is an elected member of Connecticut Women Artists and an artist member of SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates). A mother of three, she is based in New Haven, Connecticut.
Read the artist statementEvery piece begins with material and becomes a conversation.
Pattern, print and color establish a language for the work.
Fabric fragments become dimensional compositions.
Thread draws, connects and gives the surface its voice.
Explore exhibition history, writings, and the work that continues to evolve.
Résumé & achievements