From October 7 to November 1, the exhibition Fragments of Community by Dymph de Wild will be on view at Mary Baldwin’s Hunt Gallery.
Born in the Netherlands, De Wild immigrated to the United States in 2006. She received her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art and Design and holds an MFA from James Madison University (JMU).
Growing up, De Wild would build tree houses in a nearby forest or resurrect a home-made tent-like structure to perform hocus pocus tricks for the neighbors. This sense of play is still visible in her practice today and is somewhat Dada-inspired.
De Wild has been working and exhibiting in the United States, Europe, and Africa as a conceptual visual artist. She is currently teaching at JMU.
De Wild writes the following about her exhibition:
During my May 2019 art residency in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I foraged for and collected found materials on the bare and buried landscapes scattered around that metropolis. My mission was to shine a spotlight on the inhumane and ongoing displacement of native peoples who inhabit increasingly development-valuable land in that capital city. By creating a body of work with those found materials, I pay homage to the displaced people. After my exhibition there that I called Ephemerals, I re-installed my sculptures back on the sites where I had gathered their components. My intention in leaving them there was to extend awareness of the disappearing communities. Now, for this exhibition, I have printed and collaged found fragments including elements brought back from Ethiopia to evoke the spirits of the affected humans.
A reception will be held for the artist from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Monday, October 7, in Hunt Gallery. The public is invited to attend.
Hunt Gallery is dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary work in all media by regionally and nationally recognized artists. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during the academic year. Hunt Gallery’s schedule for the 2019–20 academic year can be found online.
