Sterling Rook, born and based in Miami, FL, is a sculptor and fiber artist who expands the language of fiber art and sculpture through innovative material combinations. A 2017 MFA graduate from Florida International University, Rook’s practice is deeply informed by his family’s heritage: his maternal Peruvian grandparents’ tailoring and re-weaving skills, and his father’s original last name, Stringer—a historical occupational name for rope makers.

These threads serve as a compass for exploring art-making as a process that bridges past and present. Rook’s Miami Rope Bridge project, realized with a Knight Arts Grant in 2023, was exhibited at The Wolfsonian and Arch Creek Park, offering a community-focused, immersive art experience. His solo exhibitions include House a Home at MOCA NoMi (2023), Stringer at Tanya Brillembourg Gallery (2022), and Outside Entwined at The Coral Gables Museum (2020). His artistic development has been enriched by residencies at The Atlantic Center for the Arts (2021), The Deering Estate (2020), and The Wild Beast Collective in Sweden (2020). Working from his studio at the Bakehouse Art Complex, Rook combines forged steel, painted palm fronds, and handmade rope from repurposed materials, pushing traditional craft boundaries and forging a dynamic dialogue between disparate cultural traditions.