Natalya Khorover Aikens

Natalya Khorover

"Marrying together the disparate influences on my art--heritage and recycling--is my greatest challenge and my greatest pleasure. It is what drives me into my studio everyday."

Architecturally inspired, delicately stitched--that is the motto for Natalya's art. The core of her art is deeply rooted in her Russian heritage and the architectural imagery of St. Petersburg and New York City. She feels strongly about using recycled materials such as paper, plastic, and vintage fabric. She favors the techniques of computer photo manipulation as well as intense hand- and machine-stitching.

Natalya Aikens loves to use photography to capture the inspiration around her. Then, on the computer, she transforms photos into a start for her stitched artwork. The sewing machine is one of her most important drawing tools, as are her hands--hand stitching is the most intimate form of expression. Recyclables and vintage fabrics add personal significance to her art.

Natalya Aikens earned her BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. A career in the fashion industry taught her much about style and throwaway culture. Following that, a career as a costume designer in the film industry helped her hone her creative skills and passion for material recycling. She now uses all of those experiences along with Russian decorative traditions for her art.

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Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Quilt National 2013, The Dairy Barn Arts Center, Athens, OH, 2013
63rd Annual Art of the Northeast, Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan, CT, 2013
Piecing It Together (Invitational), ArtsWestchester, White Plains, NY, 2012
Softer Edges-Fiber Artists and the Urban Environment, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA, 2012
A Spin on Green, Katonah Museum Artists Association , ArtsWestchester, White Plains, NY, 2011