STATEMENT
Through my painting, I explore the connections that we build — with one another and the earth — that are vital to our existence.
I often think about the invisible threads connecting us to each other and to the natural world — to a coastal redwood and a rusty patched bumblebee, to a raging fire and endless drought, to a mother and her newborn across the globe. Through layers, marks and texture I invite viewers to explore these hidden, fragile webs of connection.
I layer imperfect and diverse geometric shapes, lines, drips, and sometimes fabric to create a visual echo of the rich, dimensionality of people and all that surrounds us — the land, water, sky, and living creatures. Color and texture amplify the vibrant tapestry of social relationships, shared values, and common interests that give shape to community life and that bind individuals together and to the environment in which we live.
I would like my art to serve as a reminder to see beyond the surface — to recognize the roots and intricate webs that bind us to every life on this ailing planet, and to understand that even the smallest actions have an impact.
I believe that art can help to build kinship and expand our sense of responsibility as individuals and as communities. We have no idea what it feels like to be in someone else’s body or mind and extending a bit of grace can reach further than we can imagine. My hope is that my work will spark a sense of wonder and respect for one another and for our deep relationship with this earth, our common home.
The textural geometric shapes, patterns, and layers in my work are a reminder that all our actions — big and small — leave imprints on the world.
ALEXIA LEWNES
I began my career as a documentary filmmaker and journalist in New York City and Cairo, Egypt before moving into international development. For more than two decades, I reported on the lives of the most vulnerable members of society. In the US, I wrote about the impacts of poverty and documented the lives of kids living on the street. From Brazil to India to Mozambique, I reported on and photographed women and children, sharing their stories of pain, determination, and courage in often brutally challenging and environmentally damaged regions.
While living in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, I came to fully appreciate how textiles played a crucial role in cultural expression and storytelling. Reflecting customs, class, values, identity, beliefs and social structure, textiles tell individual and collective stories. In my work, first in writing and photography, and now in paint, I have focused on making stories come alive. The textural geometric shapes, patterns, and layers I use are a reminder that all our actions — big and small — leave imprints on the world. They are my attempt to give voice to the complexity that surrounds us and the forces that shape our lives.
My home is now Santa Fe, New Mexico.