Artist statement
I am a mixed media artist working at the intersection of textiles and metal to explore the power of duality through material poetics. Drawing inspiration from the needlework traditions of my maternal lineage and the luxury auto culture of the mid-twentieth century, my work highlights the connection between opposites—soft and hard, fluid and rigid, light and heavy—using contrast to generate dynamic, sophisticated forms that embody both elegance and strength.
Through purposeful manipulation of materials, I create works that transcend the inherent properties of their primary material. The result is a powerful duality: the delicate is made strong, and the rigid is made fluid. This interplay of contrasting qualities evokes a sense of wonder and invites a deeper engagement with the complexity of the artwork.
My metallic textile sculptures resemble armor—strong, heavy, and plated—yet maintain the elegance and fluidity of their fabric core. I pleat, twist, knot, and stitch soft, malleable fabrics into compressed formations, then layer latex, resin, polyurethane, and auto paint to create a metallic shell that gives them the appearance of being forged from metal. In contrast, my metal sculptures resemble flowing silk ribbon frozen in place–fluid, lightweight, and refined–yet maintain the industrial strength of their metal core. I bend and torque hard, impenetrable metals into sleek, curved formations, adding smoothness and sheen with polyurethane, epoxy, resin, and auto paint, ultimately making them appear as if they were created out of flowing fabrics.
At its core, my work is a celebration of liberation and transformation—of transcending boundaries and embodying the magnificent fusion of grace and strength.
ARTIST ALL THE WAY.
Visit MISS LOU — an art initiative by Annie. Reimagining the feminine to inspire intuitive power in present and future generations.
Creative experimentation and discovery with a huge variety of art materials and mark-making methods was an everyday occurrence throughout Annie Broderick’s childhood. Artmaking, sewing, and exploration in the woods of southern Georgia happened day in and day out when she was young, with Broderick’s mother as both teacher and facilitator. Broderick’s use of fabric and hand-stitching in her artwork honors the needlework tradition that runs through her maternal female ancestry.
Broderick attended The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, during her high school years, where she developed her skills in painting, drawing, and sculpture. In 2001, she received The Mark Potter Award in Art. She then studied fine art with a focus on painting as a student at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, earning a B.A. in Studio Art in 2005. Broderick received the Douglas Houchens Studio Art Award in Spring 2004. During her junior year, Broderick studied art abroad in Paris, France, where she was a copyist at the Louvre Museum. After graduating from Davidson, Broderick moved to Washington, D.C., and pursued her M.A. in Community Counseling from George Washington University in 2009.
Currently, Broderick lives and works as an artist in Ashburn, Virginia. Broderick has shown and sold work extensively in the Washington, D.C., area and beyond. Broderick’s collectors house her work across the nation, in private collections and in public and corporate spaces. Broderick’s most recent commissions are permanently placed at Reagan National Airport’s new American Express Centurion Lounge. In December 2023, Broderick created a large-scale public outdoor sculpture on site in CityCenter DC and was featured on ABC7 News for this work.
In 2022, Broderick launched Miss Lou, an art initiative that reimagines the feminine to inspire intuitive power in present and future generations. Miss Lou’s first project, Kindred Queens, celebrated 12 chosen women through a one-night showcase at Long View Gallery in Washington, D.C., attracting more than 250 guests and raising over $130,000 to benefit Girls Inc. DC. Annie produced a short documentary, Within Her Seams, and published a collectible hardcover art book titled Kindred Queens to honor this project. In 2024, Broderick was welcomed as the newest member of the Workhouse Art Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Workhouse Arts Center, a project of the Workhouse Arts Foundation, is dedicated to making the arts accessible to all.