Andrea Dupree is an artist and educator whose work explores themes of interconnectedness, drawing inspiration from animism and ecological awareness. Rooted in her upbringing in South Louisiana and shaped by her move to rural Northern New Mexico, where she is currently restoring a micro-farm, Andrea’s practice centers on ecological and fiber arts including felting, hand embroidery, and the use of natural and reclaimed materials to create pieces that function as altars. These works act as meditative spaces for reflection, blending material and spiritual worlds while honoring the relationships between humans, land, and the unseen.
Andrea’s artistic process is closely connected to her work as a Yoga and Early Childhood educator. Drawing from her experiences facilitating Yoga-informed and Reggio-inspired learning for children and adults, she brings a sense of playful experimentation and intuitive listening into her art practice. Her work offers an invitation to explore deeper layers of connection—with self, place, and the more-than-human world. Through all stages of her practice, Andrea uses art as a tool for meaning-making, ecological awareness, and spiritual exploration.
Statement
I create fiber and found object sculptures, video and site-specific works that explore the interconnectedness between humans, nature, inner worlds and the unseen. My materials include wool, plant fibers, rusted metal, weathered wood, broken glass, and stones. I work slowly and intuitively, using wet and needle felting, hand embroidery, and layering to build textured, abstract forms. These pieces serve as altars—contemplative spaces for ritual and re-connection.
I’m drawn to materials that maintain a strong connection to nature, and materials with history — especially those that have been discarded or changed by time and elements. I source materials from eco-conscious vendors, inherited collections, estate sales and the land around my home in Northern New Mexico.
As a Yoga Educator and Reggio Emilia-inspired Early Childhood Educator I approach materials as collaborators and art making as an exploratory, reflective process. I believe in staying in conversation with materials, nature and my inner child. My creative process is rooted in responsive listening through the acts of observing, collecting and making. I’m deeply influenced by the aesthetics of Catholic iconography, structures and rituals I experienced growing up in South Louisiana, as well as spiritual and nature-based practices, animism and the ecology of place.
My intention is always to create with care, to collaborate with materials and place, and to offer moments of stillness and connection in a world that often moves too fast.
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