Gio Swaby

 

Gio Swaby (b. 1991) was born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas and is currently based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an interdisciplinary artist exploring the intersections of Blackness and womanhood. As a young girl, her mother taught her how to sew, and now she creates portraits using a range of textile-based techniques.

Working through the lens of Black feminist thought, Swaby investigates restorative modes of resistance and constructs a supportive framework by which to utilize them. Her work is an inquiry into portraiture as a tool of resistance and is motivated by the desire to represent Black women in a way that is nuanced, multilayered, and honest.

Swaby’s work is included in collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Canada, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and more.

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Fairs

2026

The Armory Show | New York, NY, USA | September 24 - 27, 2026 (forthcoming duo presentation)

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