Marking its sixth year as DESIGN MIAMI’s Official University Sponsor, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is once again showcasing the talents of its rising-star alumni at the fair, presenting a mesmerizing, immersive installation that revels in color, craftsmanship, and collaboration. SCAD’s ongoing relationship with DESIGN MIAMI exemplifies the university’s laudable mission to provide opportunities for its graduates to exhibit their work on international, high-profile platforms.

“Once again, SCAD infuses DESIGN MIAMI with fresh invention straight from the brilliant hands and minds of SCAD alumni,” says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “This year’s presentation may be our most wondrous yet, pairing Christopher John Rogers and Orior’s Ciaran McGuigan, virtuosos of fashion and furniture who first met as SCAD students. Eny Lee Parker wows with her compelling table designs, and fibers visionary Anya Molyviatis captivates with her intricate, three-dimensional weavings.”

Impressed with the scale and impact of Molyviatis’s emotive, multihued architectural textiles — a new series unveiled at the fair this year — we sat down with her to learn more about her practice and how SCAD has helped her establish her blossoming career. Born in Geneva and currently based in Austin, Molyviatis graduated from SCAD with a BFA in fibers in 2021 after studying sustainable architecture in California and apprenticing with a master weaver in New Mexico. Today she is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of traditional fiber art by sculpting dynamic woven environments that transform the viewers’ relationship with their surroundings.

Tell us about the work you produced for this installation?

The weavings in this new series are my largest to date and embody how I’ve always envisioned this body of work — enveloping and cocooning the viewer with their presence. At this scale, I’m able to explore multiple color relationships that I haven’t been able to in the past, allowing me to use color not only to ground the pieces but to continue pushing the illusion of weightlessness. I wanted the pieces to feel like soft, sculptural forms that breathe life in every direction.

The wall installation, Chroma Phonema, explores the concept of “colored air.” The gradient appears light as air as you move around it, filling previously negative space with dense, vibrant color. The piece also reflects sound and motion vibrations, echoing musical threads that create an ephemeral dance between negative and positive space.

The hanging thread installation, titled A & B, draws inspiration from Pueblo culture’s six cardinal directions. “A” represents the number five, associated with “above” (the sky and heaven), while “B” represents the sixth direction, “below” (the earth and underworld). These directions symbolize a spiritual journey tied to cosmology and self-transformation. The knotted sections within the work represent fragments of ourselves that guide us through these cardinal directions.

This series also invites viewers into the intimate process of weaving — a craft that involves many stages and tactile explorations. I wanted to showcase the stages of threads before they become woven pieces, transforming each step into its own sensory experience. The dialogue within these works reflects themes I frequently explore: transformation, life cycles, and the sensory essence of being alive.

How does this installation fit within your broader practice?

This series marks a significant evolution in my approach, building on my broader exploration of weaving as a transformative art form. It’s the start of my journey to redefine how textiles are viewed.

I’ve been thinking about how we spend our lives in constant interaction with the architecture around us, and this curiosity has driven me to move beyond visual design into sensory design. I aim to explore how spaces can heighten human senses, making environments feel alive, present, and even magical.

My career bridges the gap between urban and natural environments through art and design. With this body of work, I’m delving into how three-dimensional textiles can affect the spaces we live in, while also transforming textiles into something much greater than their traditional definitions.

How would you characterize the role of color in your work?

Color is a cornerstone of my practice, acting as a universal communicator that taps into the essence of being human. It connects with emotions and senses, allowing viewers to share in these universal experiences.

For me, color is also deeply personal — a tool for transformation and self-reflection. It helps me navigate my own experiences and emotions, while also unlocking new ways of visualizing the human experience.

Working with various palettes allows me to discover unique color combinations and their relationships with light, materials, and environments. These interactions highlight the fluidity of color and its capacity to adapt, just like us. This dynamic relationship between color and environment feeds into my exploration of how our surroundings affect us — and how we, in turn, affect them.

How has SCAD prepared you for where you are today?

SCAD played a pivotal role in my journey. I specifically chose SCAD to study weaving, and the faculty and resources at Pepe Hall, home to the university’s fibers program, were foundational in shaping my career.

I wouldn’t have had the courage to establish my own studio or push the boundaries of digital weaving without SCAD’s unparalleled support. The exposure I received there gave me the tools and confidence to dive deeply into my passion and showcase the boundless possibilities of weaving.

Could you share a few thoughts on SCAD’s continuing relationship with DESIGN MIAMI?

As an alumna, I’m continually amazed by SCAD’s strong and thriving community. Having attended multiple schools in both the U.S. and Switzerland, I can confidently say that SCAD is truly one of a kind.

Its relationship with DESIGN MIAMI reinforces its global relevance in the art and design world, showcasing the values and education it provides. SCAD’s presence at this prestigious event highlights its commitment to fostering dialogue about the power of art and design.

Watching SCAD pull up a seat at the table of global design is both inspiring and an honor. I’m proud to be part of a community that continually supports and uplifts creatives like me.