Conversations with Skylar Rains

Today we’d like to introduce you to Skylar Rains.

Hi Skylar, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was always an artist, and I knew a normal career path wouldn’t be true to who I have always been. I’m originally from New Orleans, and that is where my love for the arts flourished.

I always had a motto: “I’m doing this for my future self.” And my past selves have never let me down.

In my senior year of high school, I applied and was accepted into New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). That’s where I began my training in traditional arts. I wasn’t always the best student in normal classes, but something about creation had always piqued my interest. From there, I took the leap and applied to Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Atlanta, where I studied the arts and became a laser cutting technician through the work study program.

After graduating from SCAD in 2021 with a BFA in Sculpture, I found a job as a fabricator. I worked at a local Atlanta fab shop for four years, learning the ins and outs of building, engineering, and installing. I was mentored by a brilliant builder who taught me skills I will carry for the rest of my life. I fought my way through long days, hard deadlines, and beating the impossible each time. I’ve learned to succeed, fail, rebuild, and succeed again, all in a week’s time, over and over. It’s given me tough skin in a male-dominated industry. I’m thankful for my time there, as it gave me a great foundation for where I want my life to go.

Since then, I have worked alongside many artists, architects, and designers. I’ve been trusted in places I never thought possible, called on for impossible tasks, and met incredible people. I’ve worked alongside artists I learned about and looked up to in my college courses. I’ve traveled the country installing pieces I’ve helped build alongside teams of other talented engineers and fabricators.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve certainly faced my share of challenges throughout my journey. It hasn’t been an easy road, and it isn’t always fulfilling. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some incredible opportunities that are often just as demanding as they are rewarding.

As a contractor, it’s feast or famine. Sometimes I’m working all day, every day, and other times I have no work at all. Even as I’m answering these interview questions, I’m on a plane headed to an installation for a week that I only found out about the night before. I agreed to catch a flight at 7 a.m. the following morning. It’s a little crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

During slower periods, I do my best to create opportunities for myself through my personal art practice, participating in local markets, submitting work to galleries, and continuing to develop new projects.

While the struggles are very real, they’ve given me invaluable life experience and helped build my confidence, resilience, and understanding of the world around me. As painful as certain chapters have been, I wouldn’t change what’s happened. Those experiences have shaped the person I am today and the art I create.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve always been an artist and have loved any medium I could get my hands on. In short, I’m a mixed-media artist. The long answer is that I’m a painter, illustrator, photographer, and sculptor.

Professionally, I’m proficient in woodworking, welding, CNC machinery, programming, producing shop drawings, and everything in between. My fabrication experience informs my own artistic practice, where I allow myself to let go a bit, embracing work that is messier, more experimental, and authentic to myself while maintaining a fine finish on my prints and sellable products.

I run a creative company, FANGS, where I self-produce and publish zines, create prints for artisan markets, and produce artwork for installations. I think I’m known for my versatility and willingness to take on challenges. Whether I’m working on a large-scale installation or creating something in my own studio, I bring technical knowledge, creativity, and resourcefulness to everything I do. People trust my work and how I show up.

Two projects particularly meaningful to me in my personal practice are my [UN]chain’d zine and Specimen Series.

[UN]chain’d explores self-accountability and acknowledging the chains we all carry. It examines the circumstances and patterns that keep us bound to things that no longer serve us. At the end, I give the reader permission to become unchained from the things that no longer serve them. I believe we all need a little permission every now and then.

It’s a piece of work I’m incredibly proud of, and one that likely wouldn’t exist had I not experienced some of the more difficult moments in my life. My zine is currently carried at Criminal Records, Oxford Comics & Games, and Empire Arts Gallery.

My Specimen Series is an ongoing exploration of the dissection of body, mind, and soul. The series made its debut at RAM Gallery in New Jersey for their MINIs show last November.

Through experimental mixed-media work, I examine the complexities of the human experience, exploring identity, vulnerability, and the relationship between our internal and external selves. They look like miniature pieces of abstract art, with an expressive language that speaks through color and pattern.

What I’m most proud of is the person I’ve become throughout my career. I’ve earned the trust of people I deeply respect, learned to navigate unfamiliar situations, and developed confidence in my own abilities. I’m proud that I’ve continued pursuing my personal artistic practice alongside my professional work and created a life centered around making things.

Today, I am a working artist and professional fabricator based in Atlanta. It’s taken a lot of proving myself, showing up, and being authentic in the art and production space. I am passionate about what I do and so grateful that I get to live a life like mine.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve been fortunate to have so many supporters, mentors, teachers, and teammates throughout my career.

First, my grandparents, for always believing in me. They recognized my artistic abilities early on and supported my decision to attend art school. They’ve always encouraged me to follow an unconventional path, even when it wasn’t the easiest one. I truly wouldn’t be where I am without them.

Second, my boyfriend of nine years. He’s been there through every breakdown, failure, and victory I’ve experienced throughout my career. He’s witnessed every version of me along the way and has been one of my biggest supporters. He’s a huge reason I’ve come as far as I have.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge the many mentors, teachers, colleagues, and elders who have believed in me. I’ve had people advocate for me since I was little, and that support continues even today. It’s a difficult world and an equally challenging industry to navigate, but I’ve been fortunate to learn from people who have shared invaluable knowledge, skills, and opportunities with me.

Everything I’ve learned from my loved ones has helped shape the direction of my life and career. I wouldn’t change the path I’ve taken. Every experience and every person who has helped me along the way has contributed to my growth in ways I never could have anticipated.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.skylarrains.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skylarrains?dlrf=eWR1a3I2aXY1NXFm&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
1st image in Additional Photos: Kamilo Arenas