Nolan Wright is a largely self taught fiber artist, born in Tucson, Arizona, who uses basketry techniques to make sculptural forms. He currently lives in South Carolina, but grew up in the desert southwest and was deeply impacted by the rugged landscapes there, and by his family’s collection of traditional and contemporary crafts, including the work of indigenous artisans from many parts of the world. Both threads played an important part in his developing aesthetic and continue to be reflected in the objects he creates. Nolan’s work has been included in numerous juried national and regional shows, including, most recently, CraftForms 2025 (Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA), Fiberart International 2025 (Brew House Arts, Pittsburgh PA), Basketry Now 2025 (Textile Center, Minneapolis MN), Art Evolved: Intertwined (fiber art exhibition traveling the country from 2023 - 2026, cosponsored by Studio Art Quilts Association and the National Basketry Association), and Art Fields Competition 2025 (Exhibition Award; Lake City SC).
Artist Statement
I use basketry techniques to create unconventional forms, most inspired by shapes and textures in nature that excite me. Typically, craggy, asymmetrical shapes, and dense, weathered surfaces. Echoes of the landscape I grew up with in Arizona, and time spent in other rugged areas. Objects that evoke a feeling of encountering something unexpected, not necessarily beautiful or elegant. The repetition, care, skill, and time required calms and is important to me and results in a sort of rhythm. Each piece both creates and grows from that rhythm, organically, often with nothing more than a general idea of shape and a color palette at the start. Increasingly though, conceptual threads have begun finding their way into my work as well, either as a conscious theme from the start, or as a piece develops and I see connections with developments in the world around me. That is what happened here, as I began the piece with the war in Ukraine and attacks on LGBTQ+ communities very much on my mind.