Courtesy ‘I’ve Had My Fill’ is a combination of screen-print, felt, flannel, hand sewing. The vaginal form has Velcro on the back and can be moved.

SHE IS: Nicole Geary, 26

BEST KNOWN FOR: Printmaking and incorporating printmaking techniques into fiber art; examining feminist issues in her work.

Geary fell in love with printmaking during an art class at the University of Florida. “When I was about to pull the first print, I got these butterflies. I was so freaking excited, like, what’s going to happen? I knew I wanted to have those butterflies for the rest of my life,” Geary recalled. “I’m still getting butterflies every time I do it.”

She began printing on fabric instead of paper when she was trying to explore sexuality and death in her work.

“They were just such elusive topics that you can’t really touch. I wanted something that would help me tell the story,” she said. “I was looking for a way to make this look more lush and look more intriguing.”

CURRENTLY: In “point, pattern, print” at Fiber Art Space, Geary sews together abstractions made of felt and other fabrics to examine body image and other issues affecting women.

“I’ve Had My Fill” is an interactive piece made of six panels with a screen-printed vaginal form that sticks to the panels with Velcro. Viewers can move the piece along the felt panels.

“Shift/Emerge” is made of three layers of fabrics that are screen-printed and sewn together, “illustrating that there are different layers to these kinds of topics or different layers to women,” Geary said.

BACKGROUND: A Florida native, Geary moved to San Antonio in 2006. She worked for a year at a printmaker at StoneMetal Press and taught at Cindy Taylor Krier Juvenile Correctional Treatment Center.

She now teaches printmaking to middle schoolers through the Southwest School of Art & Craft’s Mobile Arts Program.

CHECK HER OUT: “point, pattern, print” is up at Fiber Art Space at Blue Star through May 25; details at fiberartspace.com.

Two of Geary’s prints are also on display in the All School Exhibition at the Southwest School of Art & Craft through June 15; details at swschool.org. In July, Fiber Art Space will host a collaboration by Geary and poet Tina Misite.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor