Felicia Griffin

Felicia Griffin (b. 1963) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans printmaking, ceramics, painting, and fiber art. A recurring theme in Griffin’s work is the circle–a shape that connects her sense of self with the outside world. She is well known for her pom-poms, which she enjoys gifting to her loved ones. Several of these soft sculptures were included in Don’t mind if I do, a trailblazing and accessible installation curated by artist Finnegan Shannon.

Griffin has worked at NIAD Art Center since 1985 and is among the longest tenured artists still practicing today. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Oakland Museum of California Art, and Christie’s Auction House, San Francisco. Griffin’s artworks are housed in the permanent collections of the Graphic Arts Collection at UC Berkeley and at the Mission Bay Campus at UCSF.

(The following text is an edited excerpt from a conversation conducted between Felicia Griffin and former NIAD art facilitator Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo. The entire interview can be found in Issue 6 of New Life Quarterly, published by E.M. Wolfman Books)

What would you like us to know about you? Who is Felicia Griffin?

Um, well, I like to come here and have fun and I love my friends and I want to do some more pompoms and I like doing my art.

What are you working on right now?

A pompom. I made two pillows and put pompoms on the pillows.

Why do you like to make art that involves circles? I see that’s a repeated shape in your pompoms, prints, and paintings — where does that circle shape come from?

The circle is inside of me, a square too. I see it in the world too.

You engage with a lot of people while you work at NIAD — how does that relate to your art making?

Yep, I like doing it and um, I like to help out. It makes me feel happy! I started doing this: giving gifts. I go to the cabinet and get pencils and sticks and then I store them in my bag. Well, so at first, I take some things from people or from the cabinet and then, well I just give them away. I am always looking out for who needs help.

Do you consider the Art Center your family?

YEEEAAAAS! Uh, all my friends are here. I care for people here — yes!