heather deyling

Heather Deyling’s interest in invasive species, climate change and reading eco-fiction influences the Atlanta artist’s colorful, creature-like felted sculptures and wall drawings.

Artist: The Ohio native was born and raised in Cleveland. She received a BFA from Kent State University and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University.

In September 2019, she moved from San Francisco to Atlanta for a full-time teaching position at SCAD as professor of foundation studies.

Studio: Based in Atlanta, Deyling lives in Cabbagetown and maintains a studio in Kirkwood.

“I’m very fortunate to share a space with two other wonderful artists in a mixed-use building,” said Deyling.

In the beginning: Deyling used to be a painter, but around 2009 she began to feel dissatisfied with painting and started to explore installation.

She also began experimenting with paper and fabric. Around the same time, she also learned to needle felt.

In 2011, Deyling created her first site-specific installation at Gallery S.P.A.C.E. in Savannah. She has continued to make installations, which include needle felted sculptures and other textile elements as well as sound and video. In more formal gallery settings, she exhibits the sculptures on pedestals.

She stopped painting in 2013, but drawing always remained part of her practice.

Art & materials:

Needle felted sculptures ($800 to $2,500).
Mixed media drawings ($300 to $1,200) and site-specific installations.

Deyling’s current and ongoing body of work is a series she calls the “Invented Hybrids.” The sculptural and wall works are variations and combinations of flora, fauna, and fungal species.

What’s popular: Sculptures, especially the caterpillar-like wall sculptures and framed drawings.

Inspirations: Artists, including: Masako Miki, Wangechi Mutu, Rina Banerjee, Petah Coyne Sarah Sze, Shelia Hicks, Ruth Asawa, Ken Price, Eva Hesse and Charles Burchfield.

Commissions: In 2023, SCAD commissioned her to create a site-specific installation in the SCAD FORTY-FIVE building in Midtown Atlanta.

Recent honor: Solo exhibition at Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, SC. March-June 2024.

Recent exhibits:

“Hybridity + Beauty: Heather Deyling and Manty Day” at Spruill Gallery in Dunwoody, GA. The exhibit focused on the examination of the natural world through sculpture and paint.
Included in a 10-artist exhibit at Thornback Gallery’s popup space, Greenville, SC.

What’s next:

Deyling’s work will be included in the Spruill Gallery booth at the Atlanta Art Fair at Pullman Yards. Oct. 3-5.
Two-person exhibition at the Pollinator Art Space in Atlanta. January-February 2025.

Where to buy: