City Girls
14 feet by 8.5 feet
Yarn, acrylic and spray paint on hook mesh
HELLO EXPO CHICAGO!!!!
I'm proud of this one 🥹❤️
All models tagged in image
#representationmatters #citygirls #art #yarn #portraits
When welcoming a cohort of artists working in fiber, we needed to make space for them - literally.
Introducing a new addition to our studios: the Fibers Studio. Led by Studio Specialist Renee Holliday (@reneehollidayjewelry ), the space is designed to support artists working across textile-based practices.
Textiles are having a moment in contemporary art, but for many artists, fiber has always been more than a trend. It’s a material language rooted in care and labor, that carries histories of collaboration and storytelling. Fiber practices have long existed outside of traditional power structures, moving between art, craft, and community.
Our Artists-in-Residence Ally Nolan (@allynolan1 ), Beverly Smith (@quiltbev ), Nastassja Swift (@nastassjaebony ), and Kandy Lopez (@kandyglopez ) gathered around our new long arm sewing machine with artists Renee Holliday and Asa Jackson (@asajacksonart ) to begin an exciting chapter here at McColl Center.
Mark your calendars 🎉
Join us at HMAAC for an exclusive Press Showcase featuring current exhibitions by Clarence Heyward, Kandy G. Lopez, and Dr. Jay Murthy as we also give a first look into our upcoming summer programming and Juneteenth celebrations.
Come experience the art, connect with community, and hear what’s ahead at HMAAC this season. Refreshments will be provided.
🗓 Monday, May 18, 2026
⏰ 6–8 PM
📍 Houston Museum of African American Culture
4807 Caroline Street, Houston, TX 77004
See you at HMAAC. ✨
“Allegiance to the People” is the latest opus from Afro-Caribbean American multidisciplinary portrait artist Kandy G. Lopez at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Yet, it’s more than an exhibition; it’s a love letter to humanity.
Through richly layered yarn to create intricately textured textiles, Lopez transforms portraiture into storytelling, honoring the beauty, complexity, and resilience woven into everyday lives. Each piece feels alive- not only seen, but deeply felt.
What stands out most is her unwavering allegiance to community: to the overlooked, the interconnected, and the multifaceted stories that shape us all. Moreover, Lopez is also a teacher. She facilitated a workshop that encouraged our creative expression, insisted that we we weave our own stories and do so without the internalized pressure to produce something perfect. She created a community from strangers who were drawn to and inspired by her art. In a world that often asks us to look away, this work invites us to look closer. #art #arteducation #hmaac #kandyglopez #communityworkshop
Michael
8 ' x 5'
Yarn and spray paint on hook mesh with fabric backing
I didn't forget about you Michael 🫶🏽😅
#representationmatters #art #fiberpainting #yarn #portraiture
Allegiance to the People @houstonmaac
FREE Community event today from 4-8pm. Come out and commune. We will be creating with fibers. Please some yarn, threads, or whatever!
♥️🫶🏽
Kandy G Lopez @kandyglopez is a multidisciplinary artist exploring cultural identity, representation, and power through fiber, portraiture, painting, and mixed media.
“As an Afro-Caribbean American artist, my work explores identity through portraiture in a variety of mediums… I am showcasing and immortalizing the magic of the people within my life,” Lopez says.
Grounded in painting and expanded through the use of yarn and thread, Lopez’s practice reimagines portraiture as both material and message. Her larger-than-life figures - constructed by hand and often set against painted cityscapes - center the presence, style, and self-possession of her community. By merging scale, texture, and cultural reference, she foregrounds visibility as both a form of resistance and a means of celebration, examining how identity is performed, perceived, and preserved across personal and collective histories.
Upcoming opportunities to connect:
During Open Hours:
Fridays | 12 - 6 pm
Saturdays | 10 am - 6 pm
Artist Talk + Tour
Wednesday, May 20 from 6 - 8 pm
Images:
1. City Girls, 2025
2. Portrait of Kandy G Lopez, courtesy of the artist.
3. Brandon 3.0, 2024
4-5. The artist captured by @mrlo__
6. Poetic Justice, 2025
