January 04 - February 14 2025

Liz Gates: Seen and Unseen

In Seen and Unseen, Liz Gates reimagines symbols of home, weaving her children’s perspectives into the narrative. This unique collaboration examines the intergenerational transmission of a nomadic lifestyle shaped by their foremothers, presenting works that are as much about familial intimacy as they are about cultural heritage. The resulting pieces—part sculpture, part storytelling—serve as a love letter to the unseen layers of family dynamics and the enduring influence of folklore.

For decades, Liz Gates and her adult children Sparrow and Ty have been co-creating a unique culture for their family. Weaving together folklore, symbols, and storytelling, their cultural framework provides a spiritual means to navigate the world. These beliefs emerged when, as a single mother, Liz was faced with core decisions about how to raise her children. Rather than pass down the aspects of white American culture that are violent, stolen, and based on lies, Liz imparted cultural criticism and the notion that they could conjure their own magic. The way of life that Liz, Sparrow, and Ty have developed is rooted in American nomadism, so they embrace impermanence and movement as natural aspects of life. The Gates family believes that home is wherever they go and whatever they make of their experiences. In the reimagined exhibition Seen and Unseen (shown previously at landSPACE: a kunsthalle, Austin, TX, 2023), Liz, Sparrow, and Ty explore their family system through installation, quilting, sewing, printmaking, miniatures, and sound. Many of the materials used, including tea towels and cloth diapers, have been recycled and repurposed in order to reframe universal ideas of motherhood, caregiving, and transformation. Like cells in a body, people in a family, or homes in a neighborhood, the works on display are crafted as parts of a whole, stronger together. In our increasingly divided society, this is a vital message.

• Doug Welsh

Liz Gates is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice delves into gendered labor, feminist identity, and the transformative power of self-expression. Her work has been widely exhibited, including at The Museum of Southeast Texas, Blaffer Art Museum, and Lawndale Center for the Arts. She also founded Cascina Ruscello, an artist residency in Umbria, Italy. Through Seen and Unseen, Gates offers an intimate yet universal meditation on family and creativity, inviting viewers to glimpse the rich tapestry of her family’s collaborative spirit and unique heritage.

Follow the artist

IG: @‌imlizgates
http://www.lizgates.com

Artist's Reception: January 11 2025, 5 - 7 pm