Brooke Erin Goldstein creates layered patchwork, fabric painting, drawing, and quilted pieces to explore how feeling alone is a common and shared experience. Her use of reclaimed vintage home goods evokes intimacy and comfort, easing the viewer into her difficult subject matter. Goldstein reflects: “I realized loneliness is not solely the absence of people around you, it's the lack of ability to connect with others in a way that makes you feel connected. I wanted to dive deeper visually into what it actually looks like when you just can’t seem to find emotional intimacy.” Through her use of symbolic domestic imagery Goldstein illuminates feelings of isolation from the outside looking in, as well as from the inside looking out.

Chenlu Hou creates imaginative ceramic works featuring women, animals, and plants, blending personal narrative and cultural fusion. Originally from China, Chenlu has been living in the US since 2017. “Building with clay seems a metaphoric process that speaks to my adaptation to a new environment, from frightening to the mundane - intimidation, distortion, excitement, confusion, and eventually, celebration,” she says. She uses colorful airbrushed underglazes to create intricate, dreamy designs that convey narratives and cultural allegories. The work incorporates ceramics, folk art, and unconventional media relationships to challenge traditional functions and reflect on the roles of storytelling in our current, uneasy world.