Crafted Conversation: Lakea Shepard

The Houston-based textile and mixed-media artist takes Nest inside her practice.

Published by Nest, a nonprofit providing no-cost business development resources to creative entrepreneurs worldwide, Crafted Conversations brings you the inside stories from artisans and makers who are leaning into handcraft as a form of self-expression, a means to social and economic mobility, and a way to celebrate and preserve their culture. Prepare to be inspired, educated and involved in their craft and businesses.

Who better to kick off our new Crafted Conversations series on Substack than the 2025 Heritage Prize Winner, Lakea Shepard? The Houston-based textile and mixed-media sculptor spoke with Nest (in an edited conversation) about her journey as a maker, personal pain points and career highlights. Read on to discover more.

“Wearing multiple hats can become weighty, but as a maker/solopreneur you have to have to have a strong neck to carry them all, no matter if it’s pleasurable or not.”

NEST: How did you get started on your maker journey?

LAKEA: My maker journey started extremely early in life. I remember drawing a sweet potato in kindergarten for a Thanksgiving-themed project thinking, “my sweet potato looks better than everyone else’s.” That was a very odd, yet poignant memory, but ever since that moment, I’ve been pulled into the life of creation and have been making, creating, and building since. Being an artist has been my only desire as a career. It felt unavoidable, instinctual, and like a calling that wasn’t in my control.

As a child, I used to carry around a pack of crayons everywhere I went which led to my first love, drawing and coloring. Once my skills advanced beyond a coloring book, I became amused with sketching, building 3d puzzles, experimenting with science kits (specifically the crystal growing kits), and making anything possible out of popsicle sticks such as functional lamps. The older I got, the more I focused on honing in on combining all those early childhood interests into a more sophisticated approach to making.

“What gives me the most joy in my work is that I am a magician. I can bring something invisible (a mere thought, a feeling, an intuition, a wound, a dream) and make it visible… tangible.”

Nest: What is one thing you wish people knew about being a maker?

Lakea: Although you may be doing something you’re passionate about, that doesn’t mean you will always enjoy it. There are dozens of hats that you have to wear in order to make money, be taken seriously, to be seen, to be sought after, and mainly to simply exist in a space that doesn’t prioritize your personal growth and development. Wearing multiple hats can become weighty, but as a maker/solopreneur you have to have to have a strong neck to carry them all, no matter if it’s pleasurable or not.

“My work cannot begin without meaning.”

Nest: What gives you the most joy in your work?

Lakea: What gives me the most joy in my work is that I am a magician. I can bring something invisible (a mere thought, a feeling, an intuition, a wound, a dream) and make it visible… tangible. I can collapse imagination into form. Knowing I have the power to create a world I’ve only literally dreamed of with my hands is so powerful and so rewarding.

Nest: What is the biggest pain point in your work?

Lakea: On the opposite side, the biggest pain point in my work is having to exist as multiple aspects of myself simultaneously. I am naturally a very quiet, observant woman of very few words, but this field doesn’t let me stay in my natural habitat, which is the studio. If I had a choice, I’d never do another artist talk again(I’m laughing, but also very serious LOL). Also, anything computer related is an absolute drag for me.

Nest: What is a career highlight?

Lakea: I have three career highlights that come to mind. The first being my first solo exhibition in New York at the Ace Hotel, which ended up in The New York Times. So many well known faces came to support such as David Byrne, the editor-in-chief of Vogue China, and former editor-in-chief of VIBE Magazine.

The second would be winning the Heritage Craft Prize first prize award with Nest and Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott in 2025. That accomplishment really solidified that dream of being an accredited maker has in fact become a reality.

Lastly, would be my first international acquisition obtained by Design Museum Den Bosch for their Posthuman permanent collection. This acquisition just happened so you all are the first to know!

Nest: What is your process like from ideation to finish?

Lakea: My process from ideation to finish is not linear by any means. It usually begins with some form of mental clarity whether that be through a dream, some political or racial agitation, or observation from my peers. My work cannot begin without meaning. Following is where the density developed with very loose sketches, research, color mapping, and material sourcing. This process is most critical because I do not make samples or practice forms. Therefore, understanding structural technicalities and how they will convey the concept needs to be thought out from every angle.

Once I feel confident that every element will intermingle seamlessly, I’ll start building the sculpture. Building the sculptures is a multilayered process within itself because I combine multiple techniques to create the visuals you see within my work. The process for one sculpture can take 3 months up to a year and a half. I am simultaneously working on multiple pieces at once. I am constantly bouncing from one unfinished work to another as a form of intermission. I need time to let my work breathe and to give myself the opportunity to mentally work through any kinks that may arise.

Although I do plan each sculpture, I leave room for intuitiveness because the intrinsicness cannot be planned. My process is slow due to its intricate, methodical, and whimsical nature.

“Everything tangible first began as thought, therefore you cannot obtain something that you cannot see.”

Nest: Is there anything you would like to share about your craft technique and its heritage?

Lakea: I’ve created a personalized heritage through the utilization of red thread within my work. In every piece that I create, there will be elements of red thread woven throughout symbolically referencing blood coursing through veins, indicating that each piece is a living entity because they are an extension of my ideology. The red thread also pays homage to my African ancestry (Cameroonian) by representing growth into womanhood and artistic maturity.

Nest: Who is one person (or group) that has greatly impacted your craft journey?

Lakea: My middle school art teacher Ms. Ellis introduced me to basketry for the very first time along with other forms of crafts. My high-school art teacher Mrs. Kon changed the trajectory of my life by encouraging me to take summer craft classes as well as apply to University of North Carolina School of the Arts which is where I graduated high school and made my first wearable sculpture with Pam Griffen. Pam pushed me past thinking about color and form in a two dimensional manner. My college textile instructor Susan Aaron Taylor introduced me to techniques that I still utilize in my work today. Together these artistic mentors have compounded knowledge and helped refine my craft.

In addition to my mentors, the African American community has highly influenced my craft. Having to utilize resources in the most creative and optimum ways due to systemic oppression, has really influenced the way I approach material usage in my work. I repurpose and recycle items that had a life before they belonged to me. I shop locally to support small businesses and source from Black businesses. I often fly out of state to purchase from a particular African bead store (I cannot say where, sorry!) Although I exude universal representations within my work, it is important that my work and I also stay grounded by honoring the ones who’ve inspired me.

Nest: When did your craft shift from being a hobby or passion into something more?

Lakea: Around the age of 16, when I sold my first commissioned work which ended up in the local newspaper. At that moment it clicked, “this is no longer a love, this is a lifestyle”. I spent the next 15 years preparing for my leap into solopreneurship as an artist and craftswoman. In 2022, I finally quit my full time job of 9 years and moved to Houston Texas to pursue my career full time.

Nest: What advice would you offer to someone considering turning their creative hobby into something more?

Lakea: Now that I’ve been maintaining a fruitful artistic career for over three years, the advice I would offer would be to make sure you’re able to see the vision you want for yourself clearly. Everything tangible first began as thought, therefore you cannot obtain something that you cannot see.

I’d also highly recommend applying for grants, financial resources, or even residencies because the more community and financial assistance you have the more accessibility you have. Money is extremely important, just as much as surrounding yourself with people who genuinely support your aspirations. Do not be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes as you’re navigating the start of your career. Those mistakes will become the wisdom you’ll need in the future so give yourself grace to learn even if it’s messy. Lastly, you need to absolutely, undoubtedly have faith in yourself. Faith is rooted in belief, therefore if you do not believe in yourself, who else will?