I am an exaggerator of the sun and was raised by the moon. Surrounded by dirt, corn, cows, and rust, I was born in a barn to humble farmers. Soon after, I became an Eastern Iowa 4-H child prodigy, winning more ribbons than one can count. With those glory days well behind me, I now spend my time making work that doesn’t necessarily depict the land, but is of the land.
Having witnessed firsthand the whimsy and brutality of nature, my farmstead childhood has uniquely shaped the lens through which I view the world. Time is measured by the color of the fields and when babies are born. Vast expanses of crops are raised, harvested, and migrated. Large quantities of material are vigorously used for months, then discarded or replaced, and certain animals are only as valuable as their ability to procreate. No matter how my work shifts in form, material, or concept, those experiences will always underlie my practice. My rural upbringing has taught me the difference between looking and seeing, hearing and listening. It defined my understanding of good and bad, collapsed the distance between life and death, then showed me how to explore what lies in between.
Heidi has exhibited throughout the United States and Iceland, and has participated in numerous residencies such as HEIMA, Franconia Sculpture Park, and Salem Art Works. In 2016, she was a Fellow at The LungA School in Iceland and has twice been invited to exhibit at the Icelandic Light Festival, List í Ljósi. She holds a BFA from the University of Iowa, an MA from Eastern Illinois University, and an MFA from the University of Maryland. She is now based in North Carolina - sandwiched between the mountains and the sea - where she can easily escape the city and once again find herself amongst the whimsy and brutality of nature.