ABOUT
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Astra is a UK-based textile artist whose work explores the intersection of textiles, light, colour, nature, and spirituality. Her multidisciplinary practice spans light installations, textile wall sculptures, outdoor temporary art, and participatory projects.
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At the heart of Astra’s work is a desire to cultivate deeper connections — to nature, imagination, and community. She views her art not solely as personal expression but as a contribution to a wider conversation about our relationship with the planet. Her pieces often serve as gentle reminders of our interconnectedness, inviting reflection, wonder, and care for the natural world.
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Astra’s creative process is highly intuitive, centred around fabric manipulation to craft imaginative, botanical-inspired forms. Working in flow states, she approaches her practice with playfulness and curiosity, allowing colours, textures, and sculptural shapes to guide her. Each piece emerges organically through this alchemy of intuition and exploration, resulting in work that feels alive and unique.
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Drawn to textiles for their sensory richness, Astra embraces the medium’s ability to push her beyond conventional boundaries, creating bold, sculptural works that feel both tactile and otherworldly. Her love of vibrant, hyper-bright colour palettes infuses her work with a sense of joy and energy, while her commitment to using up cycled fabrics reflects her environmental values and dedication to sustainable making.
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Before becoming an artist, Astra worked as a circus performer, using physicality and movement as her primary forms of expression. She later founded an aerial dance school, teaching and nurturing creativity for over a decade. This passion for collaboration continues through her participatory art projects, where she merges her love of teaching with her artistic practice, fostering spaces of collective creativity, connection, and shared achievement.
ARTIST BIO
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
Astra’s passion for art began in childhood and continued through her education, earning her a distinction in Art Foundation. She initially pursued a degree in 3D Design (Wood, Metal, Ceramics, and Plastics) but found the technical approach restrictive. Taking a year to travel, she later returned to complete a diploma in Fashion and Textiles.
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Rather than immediately pursuing a career in art, she was drawn to the world of circus, exploring physicality as a form of self-expression. Specializing in aerial disciplines, she performed on cloudswing, doubles trapeze, hoop, and silks. She was also known for her ground-based act, Match Girl, featuring a giant matchbox and pyrotechnic matches. During this time, she created numerous costumes, further honing her textile skills.
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Her journey then shifted from performing to teaching, leading her to found Skylab Studio, an aerial dance school in Camden, London. With a natural talent for teaching and a passion for sharing her expertise, she successfully ran the studio as both director and instructor for six years, until it was forced to close during the pandemic.
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It was then that Astra returned to her first love - art, finding solace in working with colour once again. Receiving an Arts Council award has enabled her to refine and develop her artistic voice. Embracing a multidisciplinary approach, she is now eager to share her work with new and diverse audiences including festivals, galleries and events in the coming year.​