Using a unique process that combines painting and wood-carving, McNall’s work balances intricate patterns, stretches of bold colors and textured mark making.
We are thrilled to present a solo show of Carmen McNall's work in our Project Space.
Unbound Passages is a series of paintings that explores thresholds—doorways and portals that open into spaces of refuge, freedom, and continuity. These passages are not fixed in time; they move fluidly between past, present, and future, echoing ancient architectural forms that have long served as markers of transition, protection, and arrival.
Throughout the work, vessels, hands, and interior spaces function as holders of knowledge and memory. Architectural forms suggest a living library, safeguarded by caretakers entrusted with carrying wisdom forward. Quilted and woven, net-like patterns appear as visual structures of connection and protection—systems that bind, support, and hold.
Vessels and figures are adorned with recurring symbols and offerings, embedded within layered pattern and texture, reinforcing the work’s focus on nurture, guidance, and healing.
Female figures anchor the paintings as embodiments of strength, confidence, and feminine energy. Faceless yet assured, they exist as both personal and collective presences—echoes of ancestors and guardians. Their hands act as conduits between inner and outer worlds, emphasizing the body itself as a vessel of memory, intuition, and care.
Unbound Passages ultimately invites the viewer into a contemplative space—one that honors transition, remembrance, and the quiet power of those who protect what cannot be contained, only carried forward.
