In an uncertain, anxiety-filled world, the tactile comfort of traditional materials and handmade methods offer grounding within time’s incessant flow. Art acts as an analog form of survival in a disembodied modern existence. Winter 2025 Artists-in-Residence Ioannis Anastasiou and Majka Dokudowicz, Balam Bartolomé, and Jen Clay all call on these visual metaphors and techniques from the collective past to navigate our futures.
Printmakers Ioannis Anastasiou and Majka Dokudowicz are bound by their passion for the rich history and materiality of prints, paper, and books. Their work returns to the roots of printmaking and includes handmade botanical paper, meticulous hand stitching, and manual traditional printmaking techniques. As founders of Misprint studio in Wroclaw, Poland, their work strives to re-invent the classic by experimenting with new possibilities within classic structures.
Balam Bartolomé, our John O. Calmore Creative Activism Artist-in-Residence in partnership with Elder Gallery, maintains a practice ranging from sculpture, photography, installation, and video to drawing and writing. His work links historical, cultural and natural topics and milestones, using art as vehicle to understand certain events and how they have shaped contemporary societies. It asks, in modern times of great hardship and rapid change, how is art related to the notion of survival?
Textile artist Jen Clay creates ambiguous creatures that engage with the audience, embodying anxiety and depression. These visual metaphors inspired by cosmic horror stories and hallucinatory experiences appear formless to represent uncertainty. By using comforting textiles and inviting quilted textures, she creates an approachable and sensory inclusive atmosphere in which to navigate mental health complexities.
The showcase will be on view from March 1 to April 12, 2025. Visit anytime during gallery hours to meet the artists and explore their works.
