Sian Proctor is no ordinary artist, and certainly no ordinary astronaut. As the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship on the historic all-civilian Inspiration4 mission, she embodies the rare intersection of science, exploration, and artistic imagination. For Dr. Proctor, the cosmos is not just a laboratory – it is a vast, ever-changing canvas.

Her latest exhibition invites viewers to reclaim the night sky, to feel its stillness and wonder, and to confront the profound way it shapes our understanding of the universe.

In the darkness, her Artemis series glimmers: metallic lunar regolith simulants catch the light, while resin and laser-cut lines trace her futuristic visions, bringing them into tangible, shimmering life.

A scientist by training and an artist by calling, Dr. Proctor began her art practice in 2020. She started with collage, then moved into painting and woodworking. Today, her geometric line collages blend technical precision with poetic intuition, while her “adventure art” has truly gone where few artworks have – beyond Earth, to the Mariana Trench, the Titanic wreck, and orbit itself.

In this feature, Artmag had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Proctor to explore her extraordinary journey – how it feels to paint in orbit, and how poetry and science collide in her practice.

You are the first person officially selected to become an astronaut as an artist. How did that unique opportunity come about?
Becoming an astronaut was the culmination of my lifelong journey of blending science, creativity, and inspiration. When I was selected for the Inspiration4 mission, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight, it was not just about going to space, it was about bringing humanity’s creative spirit with me. I won the Inspiration4 Prosperity Seat in 2021 when I read an original poem titled Space2inspire as my Twitter contest entry. In 2020, during Covid, I became a space artist and poet not knowing that nine months later it would win me a three-day trip to space. I had been chasing space my entire life as a scientist and had even been a finalist for the 2009 NASA astronaut selection process. But the Inspiration4 contest gave me the platform to embrace my authentic voice as an artist and poet.

Here is my space winning poem:

Space2inspire

You’ve got space
I’ve got space
We all have Space2inspire
That’s why we dream of going higher and higher

But what is space if you can’t breathe
Let’s stop sucking out the air of our humanity
We have a moment to seize the light
Earth from space both day and night

We have J for justice to ignite the bold
We have E for equity to cut past the old
We have D for diversity to end the fight
We have I for inclusion to try to make it right

A J.E.D.I. space to rally behind
A universal force so big it binds
Inspiration to change the world
A new beginning for us to hold

It’s not about you
It’s not about me
It’s about Space2inspire 
For all of humanity

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Sending us out on the explorer’s path
But don’t forget the arts – the heartbeat of time
Consider sending a poet who knows how to rhyme

So let us drop the mic and close the capsule door
Thank you for making sure Doctor Proctor is on board
My Space2inspire is what we need
Inspiration4 – for all of humanity!

What inspired you to create art in space? How did painting in zero gravity influence your creative process? Did being in space open up new possibilities or perspectives in your work?
SpaceX asked if there was anything I wanted to do while in space, and I said yes, paint in space. Initially, they were hesitant, but when I showed them that NASA astronaut Nicole Stott had successfully painted in space, they were supportive.
Painting in zero gravity was both freeing and humbling. On Earth, gravity grounds your hand, your brush, your perspective. In orbit, everything floats – your body, your tools, even your sense of direction. That weightlessness invited me to think differently about composition, movement, and flow. Every brushstroke became a dance with the cosmos, guided by motion rather than control.
I painted AfroGaia, a character representing the feminine beauty of Mother Earth, using vivid colors to reflect what I later recognized as EarthLight, the planet’s unique luminous signature that sustains life. This work became the foundation of a creative philosophy rooted in spontaneity, surrender, and the ephemeral beauty of our universe.

You describe yourself as a geometrical line collage artist using laser-cut techniques. How did you develop this style, and what does it allow you to express that other methods might not?
My geometrical line collage style evolved from my fascination with maps, geology, and the structure of the natural world. As a geoscientist, I see patterns everywhere—tectonic lines, stratified layers, the geometry of light and landscape. As an artist, I translate those observations into abstract compositions that celebrate structure and connection.
Laser-cutting technology bridges digital design and one-of-a-kind physical pieces, allowing me to integrate layered collage practices with precision. Through this method, geometry becomes a narrative device, illustrating how people, planets, and possibilities are interconnected by visible and invisible lines of influence.

You’ve published books of poetry and often combine literary and visual art. How do poetry and art inform each other in your practice and how has your time in space influenced this interplay?
Poetry and art are twin engines of my creative expression. My poems often arise from visual artwork, molded by the colors, shapes, or emotional landscapes I’ve created. Conversely, my art is often inspired by poetic rhythm and metaphor.
Floating above Earth, I experienced the fragility and brilliance of our shared home. This inspired my EarthLight philosophy: sunlight transformed by Earth’s atmosphere becomes the light that sustains life. Every poem and artwork I create is a way to help others recognize and share their own EarthLight, reflecting the beauty and resilience within themselves.

Being the first African-American woman mission pilot and the first Black person to paint in space is historic. How does this responsibility and visibility shape the way you approach both art and science?
It is both a profound honor and a sacred responsibility. I carry the dreams of those who came before me, people who were not always given the opportunity to see themselves among the stars. Every creation and every public engagement is an act of representation and liberation. My art and science work to expand what is possible and show that inclusion, creativity, and exploration must coexist to realize humanity’s full potential.

Could you share some of your upcoming projects, especially those that continue exploring the intersection of art and space?
I recently collaborated with UNIQLO’s Peace for All campaign and the nonprofit Club for the Future, highlighting how space and art can inspire a peace-filled future. I am mentoring art students on publishing projects and expanding my EarthLight series, exploring how light, energy, and emotion connect us across the planet and beyond. Through my Space2inspire brand, I am developing educational and artistic initiatives encouraging people to see themselves as modern explorers, scientists, poets, and creators shaping the future of space for all.

Finally, what advice would you give to artists or explorers who want to push boundaries and pursue interdisciplinary paths like yours?
My crew called me Leo, likening me to a modern Leonardo da Vinci. I believe in cultivating well-rounded, renaissance-inspired creativity. Courageously live at the intersections of art, science, and technology. The universe does not need conformity, it needs your authentic spark, your vision. Exploration is not just discovering something new for humanity, it is discovering something new within yourself. Above all, let your EarthLight shine.

EarthLight and Beyond

Dr. Sian Proctor’s art is more than aesthetic expression, it is an invocation of possibility, a luminous thread weaving together science, space art imagination, and the profound beauty of Earth from orbit. In her work, the cosmos becomes a stage, geometry and poetry dance together, and adventure transcends both space and time.

Through Artemis and AfroGaia, through the daring act of painting in zero gravity, she challenges us to rethink the limits of creativity. In her orbit, geometry and poetry dance together, reminding us that the universe, and our imaginations, are boundless.