Shantel Miller

Exhibition Statement:

Miller continues her ongoing exploration of interiority through practices of looking that reflect an inward and outward mode of being. Collectively, this exhibition attempts to resolve underlying interpersonal issues by engaging in a psychological and transformative illusive space that reveals human longings. Working this way, the body is situated in contemplative moments of solitude and community, offering a conversation about presentations of the public and private self. Through portraiture and still-life painting, each piece provides insight into the inner lives of the matriarchs in the artist’s family and the women in her church. Referencing prophetic messages, proverbs, and stories from the Gospel, Miller views the emerging practice of hermeneutics as integral to her work addressing intersections of faith, gender, race, and identity. In this way, various Biblical symbolisms are explored in the style of realism, and the keen deployment of color as a method for processing lived experiences and as a source of healing. Scripture is incorporated and interpreted using handwritten notes and recurring motifs of waterfalls to consider the nature of the soul. In addition, the body is depicted metaphorically in the form of a shattering vessel, transparent film, and merging streams. As the artist reflects on how wisdom and grief flow through generations, she considers how pain is stored in the body, seeking relief through the act of making. She hopes that this process of renewal transcends beyond the people in her life to those who encounter the work.