The artist Gio Swaby grew up in the Bahamas, surrounded by color. Her mother was a seamstress, and when she was a child they loved to make things together. “Growing up my house was full of fabric and thread and sewing machines,” Swaby has said. “I’m one of five siblings, but I was the only child who was really interested in sewing at all.” Swaby is now 29 and her work is making waves across the country. Using textile-based techniques, she creates portraits that explore Blackness and womanhood. This is her first solo exhibition. —E.C.