Concessions to Impurity
Curated by Shirley Lai
Concessions to Impurity encapsulates the grief of growing pains and shedding an old self from having survived hardships, traumas, heartbreaks, or the harsh reality of life; and the nostalgia of having experienced something beautiful, something so pure and fleeting. It is that both feelings have to exist at the same time. It is the attempt to grasp a belated bittersweet goodbye to a time or a self or a dream from the past that you didn’t want to let go, but when the point of realization arrived, it was already gone. You are left missing something that used to be before that you did not know was going to end until it was distant. The exhibition embodies the wistful dream of innocence that the world would be kind and hold you gently and softly coax you through the permanence of time passing. This class of artists address grief and nostalgia through their diverse personal perspectives and unique visual representations.
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Checklist
Photography credit: New Document @new_document_
Harrison Atwater Return to Clay, 2026 oil on canvas 46 x 36 in
Gabrielle Benak The Rigid & The Tender, 2026 watercolor, pencil on wood panel 12 x 12 x 0.5 in
Gabrielle Benak Kangaroo, 2026 watercolor, pencil on wood panel 12 x 12 x 1 in
Jonah Dillon Untitled, 2023 prosthetic hand, drop light dimensions variable
Jonah Dillon Untitled, 2024 Chevrolet truck grille, nightgown 47 x 22 x 8.5 in
Naomi Hawksley Untitled (Toy), 2026 graphite on vellum and newsprint, graphite powder, varnish, acrylic, gifted doll's bedframe 3.5 x 3.5 x 6 in
Naomi Hawksley Untitled (Amy), 2026 graphite on paper and vellum, acrylic, adhesive 10.5 x 8.5 x 1.5 in
Jihyun Hong Needlefall, 2025 glass, porcelain, concrete 20 x 16 in
Jihyun Hong Dark Water, 2025 glass, porcelain, concrete 18 x 24 in
Maya Man shift reality instantly ~ {very powerful}, 2022 custom generative software (color, silent dimensions variable)
Maverick Mura Bugsie, 2026 oil on canvas 30 x 40 in
Pajtim Osmanaj Till the Flame Goes Off, 2023 oil on linen, in artist built wood frame 9 x 12 in
Pajtim Osmanaj Light for my eyes, 2021 oil on linen in artist built wood frame 8 x 10 in
Pajtim Osmanaj Like a Star That's Felt by the Flowers, 2023 oil on linen in artist built wood frame 9 x 12 in
Pajtim Osmanaj Need No Rain for the Rainbow, 2023 oil on linen in artist built wood frame 9 x 12 in
Rosa Sittig-Bell webcamXP5:krefeld/ multi_MiniaturPark_20:16, 2025 oil on canvas 13 x 10 in
Rosa Sittig-Bell webcamXP5:krefeld/ multi_MiniaturPark_16:41, 2026 oil on canvas 13 x 10 in
Rei Xiao Itsy bitsy spider, 2026 oil on panel 12 x 9 in
Cass Yao Plucked, The Engorged Dream; And Spores They Laid, Birthing Those Mercy, Brought To Me, 2026 raw silk, silicone, rust, patina, steel 28 x 44 x 26 in
Cass Yao Apparatus #1, 2026 steel, welding, epoxy clay 11 x 8.5 in
Ketty Haolin Zhang love will keep me alive, 2026 archival inkjet print mounted on ACM, burnt acrylic glass, stainless steel 10.25 x 7.25 in
Ketty Haolin Zhang prize winning honey memories, 2026 archival inkjet print mounted on ACM, burnt acrylic glass, stainless steel 10.25 x 7.25 in