Unfamiliar Languages | Exhibition

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 the focus of my work. I render it as layered, molecular-like forms shaped by my research on the mind–body connection. This research became deeply personal after my brother’s prolonged coma and passing, which 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 a collection of reclaimed fabrics, packing remnants, and metal and fiber materials. These everyday objects compose a symbolization of the emotional impact of life’s events. Shaped into vessel-like forms, they become a manifestation of how trauma and joy mark the body, echoing the textures of scars and healing.

Through detailed photography, I introduce an X-ray-like effect that shifts the work from decoration to diagnostic tool, reinforcing the idea that the body is a record-keeper. My process reflects the internal workings of being human. Repetitive hand-sewing repairs emotional fractures and also serves as a language for personal chronicles. In the same way, layering papers and fabric echoes skin and biosystems—defenses or ‘outer skins’ we create. By transforming flat materials into three-dimensional forms, I create spaces for the intangible: they serve as storage for emotional narratives that may be hidden or left open to transformation. When I connect with others, vivid visualizations of their experiences take shape on their bodies as fluid, layered traces, conveyed through  various fibers and wires. Through translucency and accessible materials, I build a subtle visual interpretation expressing vulnerability, resilience, and the human condition.

The Cloak Series explores the tension in what is an outer lining worn—cloaks as protection or as burdens carrying personal or historical weight. Patterns in the fabric echo repetitive cycles. In some pieces, rigid seams and stitching embody fixed habits that serve as traps. The idea of ‘wearing one’s heart on a sleeve’ makes vulnerability visible. The choice of materials represents the body’s biosystems, so each scar and crease is a physical memory. Together, these elements allow the series to hold the paradox that people can be both broken and whole, hidden and exposed. In the cloaks, garments, and biosystems, integrate—both fragile, marked, adaptable, and able to transform.

This exhibition maps the internal landscape, both physical and emotional, through a multisensory experience engaging sight, sound, touch, and the viewer’s visceral sense. At the heart of this experience is a collaborative video with Brazilian artist Peu Teles. This video, composed of detailed photography, is layered with an auditory landscape: the tactile sounds of paper mimic fracturing fixed histories, while a rhythmic, pulsing breath signifies the emergence of new interpretations. Exploration extends to gallery walls with interactive thread designs, inviting physical connection to the process and others. Weaving sensory elements, the work evokes a somatic response. The gallery becomes a surface for languages in dialogue on vulnerability, resilience, and the human condition.

About the Artist

Lisa MacNamara’s artistic journey began with inspiration from human stories and photojournalism in Life and Look magazines. She studied black-and-white photography through an apprenticeship, developing a strong foundation in traditional darkroom techniques and photographic processes before college where the focus was on biology, physical sciences, and psychology before moving to decorative arts, where she thrived in Denver, CO, her handcrafted finishes appeared in leading design centers, New York City’s A&D Building, and Florida’s DCOTA in Dania Beach. MacNamara received academic honors and scholarships in dual majors in painting and sculpture at Arizona State University, followed by studies in Civitella, Italy. She completed her MFA in Interdisciplinary Studio Arts at Florida Atlantic University, supported by a full teaching assistantship and academic grants. MacNamara uses large-scale mixed-media and sculptural installations, creating cellular imagery to capture life’s emotional imprints, exploring the mind-body connection. Her art is exhibited in the US and internationally and held in private collections. Her practice continues to honor individual narratives, revealing shared threads in the human condition.