Natasha Brandel (they/them) grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, and the close access to nature has informed their work ever since.
Their search for a connection between the stories we tell and the natural world around us has led them down many varied paths, including academic work in anthropology, psychology, and linguistics and hands-on work like candle making, woodworking, and ceramics. They studied Fine Art at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A semester in New York City introduced them to book arts and allowed them to intern at Kathy Caraccio Printing Studio and The Center for Book Arts. They spent some time as a custom framer and a gallery assistant before receiving their MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa. They have taken classes and workshops with Timothy Barrett, Jim Croft, Sara Langworthy, Julie Leonard, Radha Pandey, Cheryl Porter, Sara Sauers, Giselle Simón, and Julie Smith. They currently live and work in Iowa City, IA, making tools, paintings, prints, journals, and artist's books. |