Fix Yourself A Plate: Recent works by Heather Dunaway

On view in the Creel-Harison Gallery August 1- October 21, Reception & Artist's Talk August 16 5-7pm, 2nd Reception September 6 5-7pm

 

In her solo exhibition “Fix Yourself A Plate” artist Heather René Dunaway explores her southern inheritance, generational trauma and the affects they have on mother-daughter relationships as well as mental health issues, including disordered eating. Through this lens, Dunaway as a mixed media artist has created collaged and quilted works by utilizing found, nostalgic materials, such as her grandmother’s fabrics, cyanotype reprints of old family photos, and portraits she has painted to create visuals of shared stories. This body of work outlines the similarities in struggles faced over generations and the differences in paths taken to reconcile trauma.  Materials used in this series hold special meaning to the artist and are used symbolically and metaphorically. 

 

In her installation “Fix Yourself A Plate,” Dunaway uses her grandmother’s wicker picnic plates and stand-in for a vintage rattan peacock chair her mother once posed for a photo in, to create a think space that addresses southern food culture and diet culture.

 

Dunaway has exhibited works in Augusta, GA in the Westobou Gallery, 600 Broad Gallery, The City Gallery and Le Chat Noir as well as in Lake City, SC’s Art Fields competition. Her works can also be found online via social media sites, such as instagram and Facebook, as well as on her website at www.heatherrenedunaway.com.