On view September 30 - November 10, 2023

Sat 9/30, 4-6 pm: Opening reception
Wed 10/11, 6-8 pm: At Home - a conversation with the artists
Sat 11/4, 4:30-6:30 pm: Arlington International Film Festival - Dear Memories post-screening discussion with Lisa Kessler

13FOREST Gallery is pleased to present Little Light, featuring Eben Haines, Brooke Stewart and Chelsea Lyons Teta.

The three artists of Little Light use sculptural, texturally layered painting and printmaking processes to visualize the emotional and political intricacies of the idea of home. Working with layers of fabric, paint, metal and paper, the artists address some of the ways in which we build meaning through home and community. Increasingly our sense of shelter is subject to external threats, including housing insecurity, rising costs and the imminent danger of climate change. The work in Little Light considers these challenges and how we continue to live despite them.

Haines draws on the powerful visual symbols of waning candles and shooting comets to address the rapidly diminishing time left to address the dire effects of rising tides and corporate malfeasance. Laying bare the urgent need for political and societal change, Haines is unflinching in acknowledging the extremity of the danger humanity faces. Though the light may be fading, it is not yet extinguished; Haines leaves room for the belief that through the strength of collective action, our communities can rise up to defend themselves.

Through monumental yet intimate portraits, Stewart pays tribute to the people and relationships comprising our communities. Her large-scale prints feature stitched layers of delicate paper that capture movement and imbue life into her subjects, who range from her studio mate Teta and Teta’s partner, to Vinny, who works at the artist’s local bodega. Treating a printing block as a piece of sculpture itself, Stewart celebrates her sister’s pregnancy; however the joy of a growing family is tempered by the rising cost of living and childcare, which make many people feel that having children is out of reach.

Teta’s paintings also incorporate her family into the creative process. Through family antiquing trips, she discovers the vessels that she depicts and the fabrics that form the foundation of her canvases. For Teta, found materials contain personal stories that she weaves into a body of work that is heavily layered with history and memory. Applying thick layers of acrylic and oil crayon over a base of fabric, Teta invokes the rich complexity of family itself.

Working with highly tactile materials, the artists of Little Light give immediacy to our expansive concept of home and community. With nuanced and deeply felt imagery, Little Light reflects the fragility, and more importantly, the enduring resilience of humanity.

Preview Little Light