Behind the scenes of "Keepsake" 2024
In Keepsake, our annual group exhibition, 18 artists reflect on the concept of keepsakes and how an artwork can serve as a vessel to carry a message, memory, or metaphor from the creator.
Prior to creating a new body of work, the artists were asked to respond to the question: what memory, or message from you, does your artwork carry with it? Approaching the idea of keepsakes both conceptually and personally, the artists featured in our end-of-year exhibition offer insight into the transaction, and evolving translations, of meaning and material as artwork passes hands.
Alex's paintings turn to family and home, taking inspiration from her grandmother and translating colors, patterns, and memories from childhood into abundantly ornamented paintings. Using transparent layers of oil paint to watercolor effect, each brushstroke becomes a testament to the intuitive process, a whispered echo of past experiences and familial connections.
Angel’s ceramic wall sculptures symbolize life’s special moments, which develop, bloom and change with time.The work evokes sentimentality and introspection, encouraging viewers to appreciate life’s passing beauty and find comfort in preserving cherished memories.
Composed of a continuous line, Anna’s ink and gouache works are a memento of her walks through New Orleans. Using the Southern Louisiana greenery as a point of departure, these works on paper essentialize the shapes and forms that define her surroundings.
Painted with aqueous washes of acrylic paint on canvas, Arlina's works aim to capture the transience of memories: a childhood beach trip, a favorite vacation, or a shared moment with a loved one. Through open-ended abstraction, she invites viewers to reflect on their own cherished memories, highlighting how we are all connected through how we experience emotions.
Brittany’s oil stick-patinated paintings explore the passage of time, the allure of treasures, and the rich narratives found in folktales. Recurring motifs such as mermaids, cowboys, and musicians showcase her fascination with myth, adventure, and the diverse cultural experiences that have shaped her methodology.
David’s watercolor and acrylic paintings memorialize his time spent in Venice, capturing its timeless beauty and rich history. Inspired by iconic views of the Grand Canal, and the city’s vibrant colors and architectural details, his works preserve the enduring charm of a place that has inspired artists for centuries.
Evi's works are influenced by her frequent walks, capturing the solace of nature’s embrace through stylized foliage and figures in colorful acrylic.
Jackson’s textured oil paintings capture the fleeting nature of keepsakes - the intangible objects that reside in our memories rather than in our hands. By exploring familiar sensations and everyday items, the works reveal how ordinary things can become vessels for memories we didn’t realize we were holding.
In an equally ephemeral take on keepsakes, J.C.’s flipbook machine depicts a butterfly fluttering its wings, appearing to soar ever upwards yet trapped in suspended motion. The work captures the temporal quality of flight, immortalizing the action as a perpetual keepsake.
Kayla's watercolor paintings recall pressed flowers, mementos inspired by both real and imagined florals with dreamlike colors and compositions.
The journey of transformation resonates in the work of Mada, who two years ago encountered a woman leaving London to retire in Scotland, parting with her collection of vintage Japanese silks on her last day in the city. Inspired by the understated elegance of the kimono linings, the artist promised to give them a second life and transformed them into these piece-sewn textile works.
Drawing from his day-to-day observations and translating the imagery into a more structural approach, Michael's “Training Mission” series continues a decades-long routine of collecting visual information that he then distills into studies that explore color, form, and composition.
Paulina’s ink paintings explore shared memories with friends and family, highlighting themes such as the abundance of home-grown produce, the bittersweet nature of new beginnings, and the joy of communal meals and stories.
Ruth’s painting process involves layering gradients of acrylic colors on canvas with large brushes, masking gestural forms in tape, and reinterpreting earlier compositions from memory. This technique highlights the contrast between past and present, creating a dialogue that connects memories with the artwork’s evolving narrative, making each layer a keepsake of her experiences and creative process.
Sarah’s works focus on the home space, employing chromatic acrylic tablescape compositions are a memory palace, recording an imprint of a past dwellings, heirloom possessions, and the nostalgia of important objects. The paintings are never a direct representation of place, but an amalgamation of all things that encode the feeling of home and jubilation.
Sarah’s handwoven and acrylic-painted textiles draw inspiration from memories of nature and the marks that remain with us throughout our lives. While some keepsakes are intentional, her work is concerned with those that accompany us inadvertently, like stains on clothing, scars on skin, or mud tracks on the carpet.
Susan’s acrylic paintings echo the patterns and pathways of her practice through colors, shapes, and objects that evoke memories of her surroundings. She begins with an underpainting and then, through a process of layering additions and subtractions of paint, creates a textured surface that is both literal and metaphorical.
Una’s watercolors recount a journey of love and transformation, capturing the profound experience of motherhood as allegorized by a vast and mysterious forest. Through these paintings, the artist seeks to convey how daily life reveals hidden beauty, turning ordinary moments into extraordinary ones.
Keepsake is on view Nov 4 - Dec 20 at Uprise Art. Learn more about the exhibition here.
