Unfamiliar Languages | Exhibition
September 4 - October 30
Unfamiliar Languages
Solo Exhibition by Lisa MacNamara
September 4 – October 31, 2026
Back Room Gallery
Join us September 4, 2026 from 5 – 8pm for a first look during First Friday Art Walk! Free admission
The human abstracted figure is my focus in my work. I abstract it into layered, molecular-like forms shaped by research on the mind–body connection. My brother’s prolonged coma and eventual passing profoundly influenced my perspective. That liminal state—a living body with an unreachable mind—reshaped my ideas on consciousness, trauma, and the body’s emotional imprint.
With a foundation in biology and psychology, I explore how our bodies store and reveal emotional history. My material palette is simple: reclaimed fabrics, papers, and packing remnants. I transform these through repetitive cutting, layering, and hand-stitching. To me, these everyday items symbolize the emotional debris left by life’s events. They become tangible evidence of how trauma and joy mark the body. My processes form cellular-like structures. These echo the textures of scars and the fluidity of healing. I use detailed photographs of these works to create an X-ray-like effect. This shifts the art from decoration to a diagnostic tool. It suggests the body acts as a record-keeper.
My process reflects the internal work of being human. The repetitive hand-sewing serves two purposes. It repairs emotional fractures. It also acts as a commentary on language. Layering papers and fabric echoes the layers of skin. These stand for the defenses or ‘outer skins’ we create to navigate the world. By transforming flat materials into three-dimensional, pocket-like forms, I create spaces for the intangible. These forms represent ‘storage’ for emotional narratives. They hold the parts of daily life that are hidden, stitched up, or left open as avenues for healing. When I listen to others and connect with their stories, vivid visualizations of their experiences take shape on their bodies. I see fluid, layered traces. I convey these through thread, wire, paper, fabric, and found materials, marked with graphite and paint. Through translucency and accessible materials, I build a subtle visual language. It expresses vulnerability, resilience, and the human condition.
The Cloak Series explores the tension in what we wear. These Cloaks act as protection—like armor against the world—or as a burden that carries the weight of personal or historical experience. Patterns in the fabric echo the repetitive cycles we live in. Some pieces are bound by rigid seams and repetitive stitching, directly embodying fixed habits that can trap us. The idea of ‘wearing one’s heart on a sleeve’ grounds the work, making emotional vulnerability visible. Materials in the series represent the body’s biosystems, so each scar and crease on the garment stands for a physical memory. The series seeks to hold the paradox that people can be both broken and whole, hidden and exposed. In these cloaks, the body’s biosystems and garments integrate, both fragile, marked, adaptable, and able to transform.
This exhibition maps the internal landscape, both physical and emotional. It accomplishes this through a multisensory experience that involves sight, sound, touch, and the viewer’s visceral sensation. At the core of the exhibit is a collaborative video created with Brazilian artist Peu Teles. Made up of detailed photography shots of my art pieces, the visual story is layered with an auditory pathway. The tactile sounds of paper imitate the fracturing of fixed histories. A rhythmic, pulsing breath represents the emergence of new, fluid interpretations. Fluid transformations.
Exploration extends to gallery walls through interactive thread designs, inviting physical connection. Weaving sensory elements, the work sparks a somatic response. The gallery transforms into a living tapestry, where the viewer’s body participates in a dialogue about vulnerability, resilience, and the human condition.
About the Artist