Local Artist: Tanu Art

In our ongoing search for gorgeous art in the Mile High City, we rely on one rule of thumb: The pieces with a connection—thematically or narratively—to life in the West always pull us in. These gorgeous woven textiles by local artist Taryn Slawson of Tanu Art are a fine example: Handwoven from hemp on a giant loom in Slawson’s RiNo art studio, the large-scale pieces are part of a body of work that emerged when the former fashion designer sold her worldly belongings, bought an Airstream trailer and a starter loom (just for fun), and headed for the desert landscapes of Sedona, Arizona, and Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park to find perspective. “The vibration of certain kinds of music really brings the vision out of me and into life,” Swanson says of her weaving process. “Music and time spent alone in nature are key.” Spoken like a true Westerner.