Material Self
Nina Wishnok, The Contents of Consciousness, risograph
On view March 14 - May 8, 2026
Sat 3/14, 4-6 pm: Opening reception
Sat 4/11, 4-6 pm: Likeness - a conversation with the artists of Material Self
Sat 4/25, 4-6 pm: Storytime: Practiced Lives - a performance by R. Galvan and Magda León
13FOREST Gallery is pleased to present Material Self, featuring Jaina Cipriano, Nicole Duennebier, Claudio Eshun, Andrew Fish, Catherine Graffam, Boriana Kantcheva, Dorian Keeffe, Lindsey Kocur, Melissa Krok-Horton, Chen Peng, Karla Quattrocchi, CW Roelle, Mike Ryczek, Nina Wishnok and Mark Zieff.
“An act of naming should quite rightly enable me to call anything a self-portrait, not only any drawing, ‘portrait’ or not, but everything that happens to me, that I can affect, or that affects me.” Jacques Derrida, Memoirs of the Blind: The Self-Portrait and Other Ruins
In his foundational text The Principles of Psychology (1890), American philosopher and psychologist William James posits a theory of self in which our concept of “me” arises from the interplay of three primary constituents: the social self, the spiritual self and the material self. The material self manifests through the environment we create for ourselves, encompassing our clothing, possessions, family, friends, work – all that we call “ours” becomes an extension of identity. James observed that “We feel and act about certain things that are ours very much as we feel and act about ourselves. Our fame, our children, the work of our hands, may be as dear to us as our bodies are.”
Through this lens, the objects we consider important can offer unique and intimate insights into who we are. For Material Self we asked our artists to create a still life that acts as a self-portrait. The range of interpretations inspired by this prompt reflect the narrative possibilities of still life as a genre. Through the juxtaposition of different meaningful objects, the works in Material Self compose complex and subtle stories, allowing the artists to share aspects of their personality, cultural identity and artistic values.
Preview Material Self
