Photography CARRIE MAE WEEMS
My Space: Carrie Mae Weems‘ Syracuse Studio is a Home Away from Home
EE72 Editorial Director Sarah Harris steps inside the rooms that ground cultural figures, revealing the spaces that inspire, recharge, and feel most like home.
“My office is here, my studio is here, my books are here, my storage is here, my life is here. This is Delavan Studios, downtown Syracuse, New York. It’s a wonderful old building filled with other artists too, and I’ve been here for around 25 years, most days a week. I’ve always been a very early riser: I’m a sharecropper’s daughter, so my family were always out by 5 a.m. and it’s something I’ve continued since childhood. I’m usually in my studio at 6 a.m. and I leave by 7:30 p.m.
I put in a super long day; there’s always a lot to do, and it suits my energy and the way that I’m built. I like being here, surrounded by creatives and listening to music. I start my morning with exercise. For a long time I had a daily routine that included Pilates. (I had a great instructor, but at a certain point she told me I was too demanding so she fired me!) Now I just do basic sunrise exercises to wake up the body; some basic dance that has been a part of my routine since I was 15 years old, or I might do some rowing on the machine.
Anyway, back to my music, my playlist is very serious and it’s the same one I’ve had for years, it’s anchored in timelessness: Stevie Wonder’s ‘Love’s in Need of Love Today’, Don Pullen’s ‘Ode to Life’, which is a fabulous piece of music, Bob Marley’s ‘Could You Be Loved’, Pharoah Sanders’ ‘You Gotta Have Freedom’, Nina Simone’s ‘My Way’. Music is a great way of exciting my imagination and soothing my soul.
I have a complicated life where I travel a lot, so when I’m home I focus on the projects that need to be done. It’s funny, I think I’m perceived as a very social person, but in reality I’m very much a loner. Right now I’m working on an important, major commission for the V&A Museum in east London, opening in the spring; I’ve been commissioned to do a large installation for its top floor. I’m also excited about another project, ‘250 and Change’ that celebrates the 250th year of the USA. It opens in 2026; I’m knee-deep in it.”
Carrie Mae Weems
Syracuse, New York
Read more from the My Space series:
— The NYC Apartment Where Priyanka Chopra Jonas Stops To Watch The Sunset
— The Rooftop Paris Studio Fueling Pharrell William’s Creativity
— A Cosy New Notting Hill Apartment For Lila Moss
The Most Unexpected Cultural Collectible of the Year is a LEGO Bamboo Earring The Most Unexpected Cultural Collectible of the Year is a LEGO Bamboo Earring
The Most Unexpected Cultural Collectible of the Year is a LEGO Bamboo Earring
He Shaped the Vocabulary of Modern Shoe Design. Fashion Forgot. He Shaped the Vocabulary of Modern Shoe Design. Fashion Forgot.
He Shaped the Vocabulary of Modern Shoe Design. Fashion Forgot.
The Books That Make a Room The Books That Make a Room
The Books That Make a Room
Film, Fashion, and Next Gen Storytellers at SCAD Film, Fashion, and Next Gen Storytellers at SCAD
Film, Fashion, and Next Gen Storytellers at SCAD
Welcome to the Era of the Slash Welcome to the Era of the Slash
Welcome to the Era of the Slash
My Space: Priyanka Chopra Jonas My Space: Priyanka Chopra Jonas
My Space: Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Creative Inquiry: 7 Questions With Photographer Dee Dwyer Creative Inquiry: 7 Questions With Photographer Dee Dwyer
Creative Inquiry: 7 Questions With Photographer Dee Dwyer
Jennie Baptiste’s New Exhibition Bridges Generations Jennie Baptiste’s New Exhibition Bridges Generations
