Natalie "Fifi Gi" Armstrong
"Bayou Swing"
From West Monroe mixed media artist Natalie “Fifi Gi” Armstrong’s Rococo on the Bayou series, the surrealist “Bayou Swing” playfully juxtaposes conceptions of femininity and nature—which, after all, is so often depicted as feminine itself. The verdancy of the swamp stuns, a place of remarkable beauty as well as disorder. The woman’s high heels and fashionable dress make no sense in this environment, except that they sort of do. She delights in the world around her, its mystery and majesty, despite its danger. Or maybe because of it? After all, who is to say the gators awaiting below are a threat? Perhaps they are merely admiring this beautiful, mysterious creature swinging from the treetops.
About the Artist
Courtesy of Natalie Armstrong
West Monroe multi-media artist Natalie "Fifi Gi" Armstrong
Natalie Goyeneche Armstrong is a North Louisiana-based mixed media collage artist whose work explores femininity, Southern visual culture, and storytelling through richly layered imagery. Originally from Metairie, Louisiana, she holds a BA in English and Anthropology from Louisiana State University and an MA in the Teaching of Writing from Humboldt State University. Her academic background and years in education continue to inform the narrative depth and sense of place that define her work.
After a career that included teaching English abroad and Spanish in North Louisiana, Armstrong established her studio practice in 2022, fully embracing her voice as a visual storyteller. Working across both digital and analog processes, she combines vintage ephemera, found imagery, and dimensional embellishments on wood panels and architectural substrates. Her pieces often unfold in serialized, narrative-based collections that examine memory, mythology, and the evolving stories embedded within Southern identity.
Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, with additional solo and group exhibitions throughout Louisiana and nationally. She has participated in juried festivals such as the Bayou City Art Festival, RedRiver Revel Arts Festival, and the Druid City Art Festival, and her work has been featured in Bayou Life Magazine and Create Magazine. At the heart of Armstrong’s practice is a deeply personal source of inspiration: her two daughters. Her business is named in their honor, and they serve as the driving force behind her exploration of female identity, strength, and representation. Through her work, she seeks to create images that celebrate women in all their complexity—rooted in history, shaped by place, and reimagined through a contemporary, empowering lens.
See more of Armstrong’s work at fificollageart.com.
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