Amanda Whitlow

Amanda Jon Whitlow is a registered citizen of the Mvskoke Nation from Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where she was born. She resides in Fort Worth, Texas, where she has lived for more than a decade. Her beadwork-focused practice blends family tradition, cultural connection, and an appreciation for nature into vibrant adornments and objets d'art.

Raised in a creative environment, Whitlow explored a range of mediums from a young age, including basket weaving, embroidery, painting, and beadwork. Her primary medium of beadwork is deeply connected to her family and cultural heritage. The women in her family have a long tradition of creating by hand, including her grandmother, who practiced beadwork and quilting. Whitlow’s practice honors and connects to the matrilineal traditions of her family by reinventing her grandmother’s patterns and incorporating her own aesthetic interpretations into her beaded works.

Her work takes inspiration from the people, animals, and plant life around her, as well as the everyday beauty she encounters. Nature strongly influences her color palette, materials, and imagery. She often incorporates natural tones, porcupine quills, leather, and pearls to add texture and reflect the natural world.

Each of Whitlow’s pieces is created by hand, one bead at a time, with works requiring many hours or days to complete. Larger pieces may demand up to fifty hours of beading time, often spread over several weeks or months.