About
Artist Statement
CV
EDUCATION
2016 MFA in Fine Arts. California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA.
1997 BFA in Communication Design. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
SOCIALLY ENGAGED PROJECTS and WORKSHOPS All locations in California unless other wise noted * Indicates work as Feral Fabric (with Amanda Walters)
2023 The Trzepak. Community textile workshops and social sculpture. Łódż, Poland
2023 We Can Be Heroes. Cape-Making workshop, 48HRS Neukölln. Berlin
2022 Sew/Mend Kits Distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Including Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency Family Shelter in Berkeley, Raphael House Family Homeless Shelter in San Francisco, The Village Pop-up Free Stores in Oakland, with Punks With Lunch. SF Bay Area, CA*
2021 Community Banner, High Desert Test Sites HQ, Yucca Valley
2021 Back Patch Workshop (virtual), Scrap Creative Reuse, San Francisco*
2021 Back Patch Workshop (virtual), Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley*
2020 Community Banner and Workshop, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop, Women’s Daytime Drop In Center, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop, Here/There Camp, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop , South County Homeless Project, Hayward*
2020 Art in the Style Of Workshops for students, Rosa Park Elementary School, Berkeley
2019 Back Patch Workshop, NIAD Art Center, Richmond*
2019 Community Textile Workshops, Sunday Streets, Western Addition, Tenderloin, Mission neighborhoods, San Francisco*
2019 Encounters Participatory Art Weekend, Nevada City, CA
2019 Banner-Making Workshop May Day workers event, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland*
2018 Banner Making Workshop. Oakland Pride Parade, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland*
2018 Back Patch Workshop Figment : De-Commodified Participatory Art Event, Oakland*
2018 Back Patch and Banner Workshop, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley*
2018 Swap Meet Story Quilt. High Desert Test Sites HQ. Yucca Valley
2017 Being There. High Desert Test Sites HQ. Yucca Valley
2017 Wind Blanket. JT Lab. Joshua Tree National Park
2015 Flag Zine. Green River, Utah
EXHIBITIONS
2022 (Solo) Story Quilts. Pro-Arts, Oakland*
2021 Youth Council Exhibition, Southern Exposure, San Francisco*
2020 (Solo) Snake Banner, The Workshop video, Berkeley Art Center*
2017 Transformed, Borderline Collective Gallery, San Francisco
2017 PATA Kobro Gallery, Akademia Sztuk Pieknych, Lodz, Poland
2017 What We Offer is Free Hubbel Street Galleries, SF
2016 (Solo) Capes and Knock Offs. Vacation, San Francisco
2016 After Pop Life Curated by Glen Helfland. Minnesota Street Project, SF
2016 Home. Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland
2016 Parking Lot Art Fair, SF
2016 California College of the Arts. MFA Exhibition, Minnesota Street Project, SF
2016 #Textiling. College Ave Galleries, Oakland
2015 Technophilia. Embark Gallery, SF
GRANTS and COMMISSIONS
2024 (April) Zusa What’s Next Residency (Berlin)
Collaborative work centering artist mental health and solidarity building in Europe
2023 Prelinger Library Research Grant (San Francisco)
For research on radical utopias.
2022 Fulbright Program Grant (Poland).
For studio work and research on radical Polish textile artists.
2022 Southern Exposure: Alternative Exposure Grant (SF Bay Area)
For work on Feral Fabric Journal*
2020 City of Berkeley Artist Grant (Berkeley)
For work on Feral Fabric Story Quilt project*
2020 Commission: Berkeley Art Center (Berkeley)
Feral Fabric Community Snake Banner and The Workshop*
2015 Travel Grant. California College of the Arts (San Francisco)
WRITING and PUBLICATIONS
2024 Community through Camo: Weaving War Nets for the Ukrainian Front. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 7
2021 Make Something Happen No Matter What. Sheila Klein on Functional Fabrics, Architecture, and Singing the Same Tune. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 5
2021 Exhibition review: Rosie Lee Tompkins at BAM/PFA. Textile: A Journal of Cloth and Culture, UK
2021 Social Action Considered Through the Language of Textiles. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 3
2020 Radical Excess: the Art and Life of Bill Bowers. Published in Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 1
PUBLICATIONS
2020 Sharing your Practice: Curriculum by Lukaza Branfman-Verrisimo for Berkeley Art Museum
2018 Going Feral with Fabric by Lou Fancher. The East Bay Monthly
2018 Amanda Walters and Paulina Berczynski go Feral with Fabric by Lou Fancher. Alameda Magazine
LECTURES
2023 Lecture: The Trzepak. Academy of Fine Arts, Lodz, Poland.
2023 Lecture: Textiles, Nature and Place. University of the Arts, Poznan, Poland
2022 Lecture: Contemporary American Textiles. University of the Arts, Poznan, Poland
2017 Guest Alumni Critic. California College of the Arts, San Francisco
2016 Guest Lecturer in the Textiles department. California College of the Arts, San Francisco
RECENT DESIGN WORK
2018 - 2024
Feral Fabric Journal
Feral Fabric Journal is an online scholarly periodical dedicated to radical textiles in art, activism, and social movements. A print version of the Journal will be published in 2024. Feral Fabric Projects also led textile-based workshops and socially-engaged projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area from 2018-2022. Roles: co-founder, graphic designer
2004-2022
FluffyCo
FluffyCo was a San Francisco-based sustainable lifestyle and fashion brand. It was distributed through 300+ independent shops and chain retailers primarily in the US and Canada but also in Japan, Australia, and Europe. Creative collaborations included Target, Urban Outfitters, ModCloth and Crate&Barrel. Roles: owner, creative director, design, project management, production
2018-2022
Wavy Matter
Wavy Matter was an online shop which sold FluffyCo products, art objects, art prints, and work by other independent, sustainable brands. Roles: creative director, graphic and surface designer, buyer.
Artist Statement
CV
EDUCATION
2016 MFA in Fine Arts. California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA.
1997 BFA in Communication Design. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
SOCIALLY ENGAGED PROJECTS and WORKSHOPS All locations in California unless other wise noted * Indicates work as Feral Fabric (with Amanda Walters)
2023 The Trzepak. Community textile workshops and social sculpture. Łódż, Poland
2023 We Can Be Heroes. Cape-Making workshop, 48HRS Neukölln. Berlin
2022 Sew/Mend Kits Distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Including Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency Family Shelter in Berkeley, Raphael House Family Homeless Shelter in San Francisco, The Village Pop-up Free Stores in Oakland, with Punks With Lunch. SF Bay Area, CA*
2021 Community Banner, High Desert Test Sites HQ, Yucca Valley
2021 Back Patch Workshop (virtual), Scrap Creative Reuse, San Francisco*
2021 Back Patch Workshop (virtual), Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley*
2020 Community Banner and Workshop, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop, Women’s Daytime Drop In Center, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop, Here/There Camp, Berkeley*
2020 Story Quilt Workshop , South County Homeless Project, Hayward*
2020 Art in the Style Of Workshops for students, Rosa Park Elementary School, Berkeley
2019 Back Patch Workshop, NIAD Art Center, Richmond*
2019 Community Textile Workshops, Sunday Streets, Western Addition, Tenderloin, Mission neighborhoods, San Francisco*
2019 Encounters Participatory Art Weekend, Nevada City, CA
2019 Banner-Making Workshop May Day workers event, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland*
2018 Banner Making Workshop. Oakland Pride Parade, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland*
2018 Back Patch Workshop Figment : De-Commodified Participatory Art Event, Oakland*
2018 Back Patch and Banner Workshop, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley*
2018 Swap Meet Story Quilt. High Desert Test Sites HQ. Yucca Valley
2017 Being There. High Desert Test Sites HQ. Yucca Valley
2017 Wind Blanket. JT Lab. Joshua Tree National Park
2015 Flag Zine. Green River, Utah
EXHIBITIONS
2022 (Solo) Story Quilts. Pro-Arts, Oakland*
2021 Youth Council Exhibition, Southern Exposure, San Francisco*
2020 (Solo) Snake Banner, The Workshop video, Berkeley Art Center*
2017 Transformed, Borderline Collective Gallery, San Francisco
2017 PATA Kobro Gallery, Akademia Sztuk Pieknych, Lodz, Poland
2017 What We Offer is Free Hubbel Street Galleries, SF
2016 (Solo) Capes and Knock Offs. Vacation, San Francisco
2016 After Pop Life Curated by Glen Helfland. Minnesota Street Project, SF
2016 Home. Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland
2016 Parking Lot Art Fair, SF
2016 California College of the Arts. MFA Exhibition, Minnesota Street Project, SF
2016 #Textiling. College Ave Galleries, Oakland
2015 Technophilia. Embark Gallery, SF
GRANTS and COMMISSIONS
2024 (April) Zusa What’s Next Residency (Berlin)
Collaborative work centering artist mental health and solidarity building in Europe
2023 Prelinger Library Research Grant (San Francisco)
For research on radical utopias.
2022 Fulbright Program Grant (Poland).
For studio work and research on radical Polish textile artists.
2022 Southern Exposure: Alternative Exposure Grant (SF Bay Area)
For work on Feral Fabric Journal*
2020 City of Berkeley Artist Grant (Berkeley)
For work on Feral Fabric Story Quilt project*
2020 Commission: Berkeley Art Center (Berkeley)
Feral Fabric Community Snake Banner and The Workshop*
2015 Travel Grant. California College of the Arts (San Francisco)
WRITING and PUBLICATIONS
2024 Community through Camo: Weaving War Nets for the Ukrainian Front. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 7
2021 Make Something Happen No Matter What. Sheila Klein on Functional Fabrics, Architecture, and Singing the Same Tune. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 5
2021 Exhibition review: Rosie Lee Tompkins at BAM/PFA. Textile: A Journal of Cloth and Culture, UK
2021 Social Action Considered Through the Language of Textiles. Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 3
2020 Radical Excess: the Art and Life of Bill Bowers. Published in Feral Fabric Journal, Volume 1
PUBLICATIONS
2020 Sharing your Practice: Curriculum by Lukaza Branfman-Verrisimo for Berkeley Art Museum
2018 Going Feral with Fabric by Lou Fancher. The East Bay Monthly
2018 Amanda Walters and Paulina Berczynski go Feral with Fabric by Lou Fancher. Alameda Magazine
LECTURES
2023 Lecture: The Trzepak. Academy of Fine Arts, Lodz, Poland.
2023 Lecture: Textiles, Nature and Place. University of the Arts, Poznan, Poland
2022 Lecture: Contemporary American Textiles. University of the Arts, Poznan, Poland
2017 Guest Alumni Critic. California College of the Arts, San Francisco
2016 Guest Lecturer in the Textiles department. California College of the Arts, San Francisco
RECENT DESIGN WORK
2018 - 2024
Feral Fabric Journal
Feral Fabric Journal is an online scholarly periodical dedicated to radical textiles in art, activism, and social movements. A print version of the Journal will be published in 2024. Feral Fabric Projects also led textile-based workshops and socially-engaged projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area from 2018-2022. Roles: co-founder, graphic designer
2004-2022
FluffyCo
FluffyCo was a San Francisco-based sustainable lifestyle and fashion brand. It was distributed through 300+ independent shops and chain retailers primarily in the US and Canada but also in Japan, Australia, and Europe. Creative collaborations included Target, Urban Outfitters, ModCloth and Crate&Barrel. Roles: owner, creative director, design, project management, production
2018-2022
Wavy Matter
Wavy Matter was an online shop which sold FluffyCo products, art objects, art prints, and work by other independent, sustainable brands. Roles: creative director, graphic and surface designer, buyer.