My work is rooted in the complexity and tenderness of both human and environmental relationships, explored through the lens of familial dynamics, our estrangement from the natural world, and the enduring power of myth and narrative. Through photography, printmaking, and mixed media, I construct visual narratives that intertwine personal memory with broader, universal themes that frequently incorporate original text.
Each work begins as a reflective process of writing, gradually evolving into visual form. Through the use of archival family imagery and representations of animals, I investigate how we classify the natural world as a means of understanding our shifting relationship to it—and to each other.
Photography allows me to explore intimate, domestic spaces charged with memory, many of which are set in my childhood home. These images are shaped by my perspective as the eldest daughter and the unique, shifting dynamics that role creates within the family.
Myth serves as a vessel for deeper truths, and by interweaving personal narratives, traditional stories, and symbolism, I work to create a visual language that captures the layered ways we relate to the world around us.
Through the process of printmaking, animals emerge not just as subjects but as symbolic vessels. I’m drawn to their physical movements and the way emotion can be conveyed through the body. Animals hold space across cultures and have been used to express values, fears, and lessons derived from their natural behaviors and abilities. They offer a way to explore how we tell stories, how we assign meaning, and how narrative continues to shape our understanding of nature and ourselves.
Abby Schwab is a multidisciplinary artist earning her BFA from the University of Cincinnati. She works between the mediums of photography, printmaking, and other mixed media forms while combining written narratives. When she's not making art, you will probably find her lurking in a bookstore, gardening, or failing to attempt a fancy recipe she saw on the internet.