Solo Exhibition: Hibernal Sanctuary
Meghan Shimek
Dates: December, 6 2019 - January 11, 2020
Opening Reception: Friday, December 6 | 6-8 PM
Glass Rice is proud to present Hibernal Sanctuary, Meghan Shimek’s sophomore solo exhibition. In this installation driven show, Shimek’s signature style of weaving consumes our space, converting it into a highly tactile and soft environment resembling the wondrous ice caves that can be found around the globe. As a tender nod towards her favorite time of the year, Winter, the weavings in this show are a part of an ongoing love story she has had with the season throughout her life. Stemming from the frigid, yet magical winters she experienced in her home-state of Michigan, and growing exponentially after her move to California as an adult where snowfall is few and far between, her love for the season has only swelled over the years.
Despite the sometimes unforgiving and dreary nature of Winter, it is also a time in which people take comfort in hearth and home, relationships, and if they’re lucky enough, can revel in the awe-inspiring natural beauty that settles after the storm. As viewers enter the gallery, they are met with a small river made out of reflective material, guiding them through the space with various weavings along the walls and some hanging from the ceiling. As the river ebbs and flows to the back of the gallery, it pools beneath Glacies Spelunca, which translates to ‘ice cave’ in Latin. It is the largest weaving in this show, standing at 10.5 feet tall and 8 feet wide, as an homage to the aforementioned defining qualities of the season for Shimek. Hanging in the back of the gallery in a semi-circle and dwarfing most things in its vicinity, this weaving instantly draws the viewer in to its massive sheepskin rug-like space; enveloping the viewer in rich tones of blue woven into white. Fragments of bright cerulean, deep indigo, sky blue azure, and subtle periwinkle are thoughtfully layered, mimicking the profound depths of ice caves within the weaving. Each strip of wool is formed to a point at the end, resembling icicles, yet uniform enough that they stand as one. In creating a cave, Shimek awakens primitive instincts within her audience, allowing her viewers to feed their urges by taking shelter and comfort in this doughy sanctuary.
Hibernal Sanctuary is an intimate peek into Shimek’s ideal safe-haven, a place where time stands still, moments of nostalgia creep in and bursts of serotonin become palpable. In creating this idealized version of Winter, Shimek laments for this romanticized home, a place she will never have, that cannot exist, and mirrored after a terrain that is quickly disappearing on our earth.
Meghan Shimek
Dates: December, 6 2019 - January 11, 2020
Opening Reception: Friday, December 6 | 6-8 PM
Glass Rice is proud to present Hibernal Sanctuary, Meghan Shimek’s sophomore solo exhibition. In this installation driven show, Shimek’s signature style of weaving consumes our space, converting it into a highly tactile and soft environment resembling the wondrous ice caves that can be found around the globe. As a tender nod towards her favorite time of the year, Winter, the weavings in this show are a part of an ongoing love story she has had with the season throughout her life. Stemming from the frigid, yet magical winters she experienced in her home-state of Michigan, and growing exponentially after her move to California as an adult where snowfall is few and far between, her love for the season has only swelled over the years.
Despite the sometimes unforgiving and dreary nature of Winter, it is also a time in which people take comfort in hearth and home, relationships, and if they’re lucky enough, can revel in the awe-inspiring natural beauty that settles after the storm. As viewers enter the gallery, they are met with a small river made out of reflective material, guiding them through the space with various weavings along the walls and some hanging from the ceiling. As the river ebbs and flows to the back of the gallery, it pools beneath Glacies Spelunca, which translates to ‘ice cave’ in Latin. It is the largest weaving in this show, standing at 10.5 feet tall and 8 feet wide, as an homage to the aforementioned defining qualities of the season for Shimek. Hanging in the back of the gallery in a semi-circle and dwarfing most things in its vicinity, this weaving instantly draws the viewer in to its massive sheepskin rug-like space; enveloping the viewer in rich tones of blue woven into white. Fragments of bright cerulean, deep indigo, sky blue azure, and subtle periwinkle are thoughtfully layered, mimicking the profound depths of ice caves within the weaving. Each strip of wool is formed to a point at the end, resembling icicles, yet uniform enough that they stand as one. In creating a cave, Shimek awakens primitive instincts within her audience, allowing her viewers to feed their urges by taking shelter and comfort in this doughy sanctuary.
Hibernal Sanctuary is an intimate peek into Shimek’s ideal safe-haven, a place where time stands still, moments of nostalgia creep in and bursts of serotonin become palpable. In creating this idealized version of Winter, Shimek laments for this romanticized home, a place she will never have, that cannot exist, and mirrored after a terrain that is quickly disappearing on our earth.