AGE: 24
BASED IN: New York
Cyle Warner uses materials—photographs, textiles, sculptures—to preserve his past and fill in the blanks of stories he doesn’t know. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in 2023, he quickly began to stand out in major group shows. One of his evocatively titled fiber works, chasing a second sunrise; it’s no fun running alone, was selected for “The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition” to celebrate the Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary last year. Next up: a prominent place in the Bronx Museum’s AIM Biennial, which opens in January 2026.
Describe one work you’ve made that captures who you are as an artist.
We came together to watch the breeze, 2023, my first woven breeze block tapestry made during an impromptu workshop with friends. As we wove, ate, and listened to music, I realized the work’s mobility—how something referencing a permeable barrier could drift with air currents and travel between environments, carrying heirloom fabrics and community memory. It became a teacher for my practice, revealing how I approach making as a collective and reflective act, attentive to how material, memory, and architecture shape one another. My work begins in relation with people, place, and inherited histories—and moves toward forms that can hold what is before us, of us, and after us.
What art-world trend would you like to see die out?
Surface-level representation that only offers short-term support; what we need is sustained investment that outlasts the cycle.
What’s an underrated studio tool you can’t live without?
A video call. It might not look like a tool, but it’s how I stay connected with friends, family, and collaborators. It reminds me that work is never made alone. It keeps the studio open, allowing for conversations, stories, and exchanges to shape the work as much as the materials themselves.
Is there a studio rule you live by?
A rule I’m working to live by is letting the sun be my clock, listening to the work while there’s natural light and making the effort to leave the studio once it goes down. It’s a way of slowing down, giving the work time to speak back, and not pushing past the rhythm it sets.
Who are the three people, alive or dead, invited to your dream art-world dinner party?
Jack Whitten, Frida Escobedo, and Esperanza Spalding.
See CULTURED’s full 2025 Young Artists list and access other individual artist profiles here.
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