Bio

It all started with a tin full of embroidery thread. Natalie Ciccoricco is a self-taught artist who was born and raised in The Netherlands. While in college, she received a bag of embroidery thread from her mom, who found the thread in a vintage tin she bought at an antique store. Even though she graduated with a Master of Arts degree, Natalie never imagined becoming an artist herself. After moving to the USA in 2012 to be with the love of her life, Natalie found the space and time to experiment with embroidery thread in combination with different materials, such as photographs, old magazines, postcards, ink, sticks, and rocks. She finds inspiration in nature and the beautiful California landscape. Currently, Natalie juggles her art career with being a full-time mom.

Natalie has shown her art at various renowned galleries throughout the USA and her work has been published in art magazines and on modern art blogs. Her art has been used by movie and TV set decorators and she recently had commissioned works installed at several businesses in real estate and the hospitality industry throughout North America.

Statement

While being under quarantine at home in 2020, Natalie started creating embroidery artworks using materials found in her yard, on her deck, or nature walks. Exploring the juxtaposition between geometric shapes and organic elements, her Nesting series is an ongoing exercise to find beauty and hope in challenging times. Deeply personal, the artworks often incorporate sticks or stones found by her three year old son Lou and symbolize the special moments and intimate bonds as a family.

Creating art is a form of meditation to Natalie. First, she takes her time arranging and selecting her materials. She carefully prepares them for embroidery and selects the different colors of thread she will use. Her favorite part is the stitching itself, as it slowly reveals what the piece will look like. The repetition of the motions is a very calming process. Even though she always has an idea in my mind of the end result, the finished piece can be quite surprising.

Natalie loves to experiment with unusual and discarded materials in combination with embroidery thread. In doing so, it is her hope to bring new life to these materials so they can be enjoyed and appreciated once again.