Sterling Rook (Miami, 1984) is a Miami based artist working with a variety of media; from textiles to painting to metal and woodwork sculptures.  He explores a blend of unconventional materials and nature in the search for a connection with his family histories. From his mother’s side, Rook comes from a lineage of weaving.  The last name Stringer, from his father’s side, is a British occupational name for a maker of rope or string. Rook includes this in his practice, carrying the belief that culture can be seen as a textile manuscript, intersecting and weaving techniques, methodologies, history, and values as threads of meaning and agency. In the works, craft and tradition go hand in hand with the exploration of the culture and the aesthetics of Miami within a broader, global context.

Rook holds a B.F.A. (2009) and an M.F.A. (2017) from Florida International University, Miami, FL, with a focus on sculpture and multi-disciplinary practice. His work has been vastly exhibited throughout South Florida, in venues such as Miami Beach Urban Studios, The Frank Gallery, Art Serve, Perez Art Museum Miami, and The Frost Art Museum. He is a Knights Arts Challenge Grant recipient (2019) and was selected to realize a public artwork for the International Art Competition, No Vacancy Miami Beach Contemporary Art Happening (2020). Rook is currently an artist in residency at the Bakehouse Art Complex and the Deering Estate. View more of his work at sterlingrook.com.