Gwendolyn Basala is an American seamstress and illustrator who graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2009. “The only thing in life that can never bore me is art. I paint to help tell stories. I draw because they tell me to and it's so immediate. I sew as a self-indulgence. I love oils and messy charcoal, mono-types, pearls, silk and brass. Making hats is wonderfully thrilling and mixing ink is the best part of printmaking. One half of me paints and draws while the other half sews. I never know which one I'll be when I first wake up in the morning. My name is Gwendolyn Basala and, whether I like it or not, I am an artist.”