Existing in a state of constant balance, my work explores what it means for armor, in relation to body, to encompass tenderness. I am interested in how a willingness to remain open during a continuous act of seeking, searching, and swirling, can create a hardened vulnerability that leans into its durability. Materials bulge, bloat, exhale, and furrow as they are sliced, torn, stitched, and glued back together again. Through this mending, these sculptural forms present themselves as a statement of resilience by showing the gathering of damage and repair, while also asserting their power and strength through the silence of the overlooked. They invite you to join the journey as a witness to vulnerability and adaptation and collectively begin a dialogue that asks, how can the pain you endure soften your heart and expand its capacity for gentle healing.
About:
Originally trained as a painter, Alexandra Morrissette has been exploring the realms of sculpture since 2018. Her work confronts themes of self, suffering, femininity, and sex (or lack of) while also grappling with how individual visceral emotion can address collective, universal grief. Recently, her studio moved into her living space which forced this new body of work to be slightly less hazardous than previous materials involving plaster and cement, while also inviting a level of intimacy previously unexplored.
Alexandra currently lives in Knoxville, TN where mornings start beside a cup of hot lemon water in quiet reflection, while most nights end in a wistful yearning.
EDUCATION
2019 MFA in Studio Arts, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
2017 BFA in Studio Arts, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Wanting | Wailing, Barton Art Galleries, Barton, NC
2019 Silent Occupants, Greensboro Project Space, Greensboro, NC