Exhibition Statement

VISA Art Gallery, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. 
Beneath the Skin, 2021. 

We are covered in skin.  It is our first disguise.

Our skin tells a story, of cuts and bruises, of ink and scarring, of intentions and accidents. Our skin is given a cursory glance and without looking much deeper, our value is assigned.

Beneath the Skin is a visual exploration into the bodies that we inhabit and the identities we assume as we navigate our minds and the world around us.

Human anatomy is intertwined with plants and other forms of life, grounding our physical being to the natural world and the organisms that our cells become. Amongst the bodies are faces that are stripped down to our emotional core, all while the surface of skin remains. Together, these works embody the physical and psychological realities of the human experience. These are the realities that connect us as individuals and assign a value to human beings beyond what our eyes can see.

Rea Kelly and Angelina Turner 
VISA Art Gallery 
Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts