opening reception with the artist: Friday Oct. 13, 6-9pm

“Innerconnectivity I” is the inaugural debut of Rayelle’s thesis work, “Innerconnectivity.” It consists of a series of expansive installations featuring large abstract sculptures that explore what the body has been withholding from present consciousness through transcendental creation. The inaugural solo exhibition, “Innerconnectivity I”, utilizes organic materials and viscera to delve into Rayelle’s upbringing up to the present day, celebrating the redemption and aftermath of trauma through an interpersonal lens of connection.

Each sculpture is autobiographical, shaped organically in congruence with what Rayelle saw within her autonomous body when reliving these moments of the past. The symbolic organs, meticulously handcrafted with textiles, latex, and used bed sheets, represent the energy released within, carrying the weight of forgotten memories and emotions. For example, the repetitive motif of the tumor seen throughout “Innerconnectivity I” serves as a representation of the emotional “stuckholds” leading to a lack of connection in the present – “it feels as though the traumas are tumors – siphoning vitality from both ends.”

“Innerconnectivity I” not only piques curiosity but also raises questions about our interaction with these visceral elements—what it means to engage with them, confront fear, and ponder the intricacies of psychosocial development, both as an individual and as a community.

@riotrayelle

Kenzi Rayelle was awarded the Mary Nohl Suitcase Fund to support this exhibition.