Exhibitions

CARLA TAYLOR: THE SHAPE OF WHAT WE CARRY

123 West Main Gallery / 123 West Main St., Johnson City , TN May 1 - 30th

Carla Taylor

The Shape of What We Carry is a record of presence, an invitation to consider what we carry, how it shapes us, and what we may choose to release. The body of work presented in this exhibition reflects the accumulation of memories over time, some beautiful, some painful.

Attending to both internal and external worlds, I see objects as symbols of emotional experiences. Stones, representing the complexity and quiet weight of memories. Hands becoming vessels, reflecting how we carry these memories and our desire to let some of them go.

Through printmaking, collage, drawing, and needlework, the process unfolds slowly and attentively. Materials are allowed to hold traces of time, touch, and change, giving space to the emotional weight each piece carries.

My practice is an ongoing exercise in understanding and honoring my personal histories, held in fragments and layers, much like the self. While it began as a way to give voice to the pain, it has evolved into a recognition of resilience. Through it, I navigate life’s opposing forces, the sorrow that engulfs us and the beauty that sustains us.

Carla Taylor is a multidisciplinary artist based in northeast Tennessee. Her practice spans printmaking, textiles, ceramics, and collage, building imagery through layering, experimentation, and repetition. Her current body of work explores themes of grief, repair, and wonder.