Vivienne Riggio

Vivienne’s style is, in her words, collaborative. She partners with textiles, sheep, forests, paper, scrap yards, segundos, antique fairs, and together this collective lays down a blueprint of the current or next piece. It is a democratic process where each element has a voice and a purpose. Aside from the beloved churro and colcha embroidery, she intertwines leftovers given to her, which may be an old canvas, reins, bridles, rosaries, laces, or anything with texture and ancestral history. Why does that matter, to bring ancestral history into her pieces? Touch, smells, tactile pleasures, and sinking hands into the raw, gentle, and tarnished connect one to the origins of life. From that place imagination and skill converge to an inner pool that leaps out and transforms into art. Riggio’s intention is to preserve the historic culture of New Mexico and her ancestors through the integration of these traditional, vibrant elements. Furthermore, to her background, she was raised in a culture imbued with Catholicism, Italianismo, academia in her younger years, rowdy sisters, and a younger brother wary of familial energy. Riggio herself was not an introvert, but so dreaded the reaction of others that she took an obscure seat and observed, transforming those impressions into art forms as a reaction to the world around her. It has not much changed since.

Vivienne was raised in a culture imbued with Catholicism, and Italian values including discipline, morality, and academia in her younger years. She had two older rambunctious sisters and a younger brother wary of familial energy. She herself was not an introvert but so shied away from the reaction of others that she took an obscure seat and observed, transforming those startling impressions into art forms. It has not changed much since. Her artistic education started at a young age, as a self-taught fiber and craft artist. In her adult years, she grew as a fiber artist, apparel designer, and maker extraordinaire. Exploring the 'new', new lands, cities, countries, and states, has always captivated her. As such, she chose work that brought her to Latin America, Asia, Canada, and the US, wherever she was needed. Her work involved advocating for the rights of marginalized workers in these regions and educating them about such, spending much of her time traveling in the outskirts of and within global metropolises. These rich experiences filled her imagination with imagery that she now weaves into her sculptures, earthy, tangible, always calling upon her ancestors to guide, judge, and ensure authenticity is honored.

3-D, Sculpture