Framed: That’s Sew Soup

Photo by Owen Sellers

For as long as they can remember, the Syracuse University student artist known as Soup has been drawn to creating things. 

Their earliest memories of this passion could be traced back to their elementary years, when they would transform old socks into the latest fashion for their dolls. This hobby was only amplified when they were given access to their mother’s sewing machine and began to alter discarded pieces of fabric into wearable garments. 

“I was like, this is crazy–I can make toys for myself and I can make clothing,” Soup said. 

Soup maintained the desire to create throughout middle and high school. They attended a performing arts school, which fostered the same creative learning environment their parents did growing up, on a larger scale. 

“That’s when I realized I could use sewing in my art practice and it didn’t just have to be paint or a medium like that,” Soup said. 

By high school, Soup did not see the idea of pursuing art professionally as unrealistic or unachievable. 

“Just being surrounded by people who are creative, they have all these ideas, that’s the place I wanted to continue being in,” Soup said. 

Their passion for art became their future, now with aspirations of becoming an art professor to continue to be immersed in the world of artistry. 

Much of Soup’s work draws directly from their own life experiences.

“My work is about creating a holistic picture of Black and queer life. I want to capture what it feels like to be queer besides the glamorous or the weird notions people have,” Soup said.Through their work, they aim to emphasize that emotions are universal, experienced just as deeply by queer people as anyone else. 

For Soup, the act of creating is an introspective and meditative process. They describe the hum of the sewing machine to be grounding, locking them into their work as they watch their whole piece gratifyingly come alive, piece by piece. 

At Syracuse, Soup’s days are split between academic classes and the Comstock Art Facility studio. Their classes encourage creative independence, leading them to learn new skills.

“Right now we’re in class where there’s no prompts for what we have to do, so it really gives us agency to create whatever we want,” Soup said. 

In a world driven by fast labor and fitting in, Soup’s work fosters what is lacking through color, creativity, meaning and deep care for their work. With every stitch, they leave nothing less than a beautiful piece of art behind. 

“There is no automated way to make a shirt or a pair of pants. So every piece of clothing we have, there's labor that goes into it,” Soup said. “So when I'm sourcing my materials or even buying clothes, I'm thinking about how someone had to make this and therefore everything has value.”