Grounded was a three-person exhibition at Texas State Galleries FLEX Space featuring prints, paintings, drawings, and a series of collaborative ceramic works by myself, Annie Miller, and Annie May Johnston. Our collaboration was informed by a shared interest in the female experience, motherhood, nature, and the body. Our ceramic pieces were inspired by the sensory intensity and tension in “Clearing the Thickets” (“Kusamura”), Yuko Tsushima’s 1976 short story about a pregnant woman who considers her unborn baby and troubled past while cutting grass under a feverish sun. The title of the exhibition points to clay as a material that comes from the earth, but also references the feeling of being centered within oneself, as well as a sense of play and mischief. My paintings were inspired by my experiences from a recent trip to Japan, and were made with ink on a variety of handmade Japanese papers. The exhibition was on view from June 20 to August 4, 2023.
Exhibition installation photos by Madelynn Mesa.