julie torres

Julie Torres practiced law for seven years before turning to pursue a more creative career.

Artist: Born in Boise, Idaho, the artist grew up in Tallahassee, FL, where she fell in love with making art when she was seven years old.

But when it came time for college and career paths, she was too afraid to pursue art. She earned her BA (2002) and JD (2005) from the University of Florida, her LLM (2008) from the University of Miami.

At age 33, Torres decided to go to art school at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she earned a BFA in 2016.

Company/studio: Torres shares a 5,000-square-foot studio on Atlanta’s Upper Westside with her husband, who is also an artist

Art & materials: Primarily, woven screen prints on Kitakata, a Japanese paper with added touches of cut fabric and gold or colored foil.

Torres’ background in law, plus issues and symbols of social justice, freedom and equality are reflected in her work, which also includes:

Screen printing on canvas and then incorporating quilted and embroidered upcycled fabric.
US flags. Crocheted several U.S. flags out of paper thread that she made from the pages of constitutional law treatises. “The largest flag that I made used over one mile of the handmade paper thread,” said Torres.

Screen prints range from $500 to $1,200. Woven paper and canvas works range from $12,000 to $20,000.

What’s popular: Art featuring strong, empowered women.

Favorite or must-have tool: Her ErgoKiwi cutting knife. It helps Torres cut all the paper she uses in her woven pieces.

Inspirations: Artists, including:

Bisa Butler is a major source.
Olga de Amaral, Lenore Tawney and Shahzia Sikander.

Fun, special or unusual commissions:

A woven screen print (“Girl Tribe”) to celebrate the 50^th birthday of Spanx founder Sara Blakely. Best friends commissioned the piece as a surprise.
A large woven paper Texas flag for the Delta Sky Club in Austin, TX.

Honors:

Her work is currently featured in the 2024-2025 SCAD catalog.
Her RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) screenprint (“Super Diva) was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is part of the permanent collection of the Drawings and Prints Department.

Recent projects: Art donations to:

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. Two woven screen prints: Abraham Lincoln (“The Great Emancipator”) and Sandra Day O’Connor (“The First”).
WomenX organization, a screen print of tennis player Coco Gauff for its 2024 calendar “Celebrating Women in Sports.”

What’s new: The Maune Contemporary at Art Miami. Miami, FL. Dec. 3-8. Torres created “Love Your Mother,” the first piece she has made on canvas in years. The piece features hand quilting and hand embroidery.

What’s next: A joint exhibition with her artist husband Alexi Torres at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, GA. Spring 2025.

“It’s the first time that we have had a joint exhibition,” said Torres.

Where to buy: