CWU artist unravels a distorted familial past to celebrate the beauty of the present
"Abuelita Cuadrata," 2023, oil pastel, ink, 3-D fabric paint, air-dry clay, 35.5 inches x 19 inches by McKenzee Guzman.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CWU
ELLENSBURG — McKenzee Guzman, a Central Washington University art student, presents her BFA senior exhibition, “Lest We Suffer.” The exhibition opens today in Gallery 231 in Randall Hall on the CWU campus.
A proud first-generation college student, McKenzee humbly presents her art to pay homage to her family’s resilience. “Lest We Suffer” presents everyday objects such as doilies and ceramic vessels that explore place and ancestry as they derive from McKenzee’s memories, which are often distorted and erased by time. “The analysis through the recreation and tracing of my grandmother’s doily allows for the connection to an ancestor I know very little of.”
McKenzee invites you to a gallery reception for “Lest We Suffer”, which will be accompanied by a pottery market Monday, May 13, in Gallery 231 from 5 to 7 p.m. Gallery 231 is in Randall Hall on Dean Nicholson Blvd. The exhibit will be open May 13 through May 17. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4p.m.
Speaking to the meditative processes in her creations, McKenzee says “I ground myself through crochet, observational drawings, and decorated utilitarian ceramics. The process lends itself to the exploration of my surroundings.” McKenzee’s artwork portrays the vague, unsatisfying reality that accompanies the effects of time on memory to cope with her family history, so that she may celebrate the progress of her lineage.
You can find McKenzee’s developments on Instagram: @mckenzeeguzman