The Brain, The Seed (Cheyann Washington Solo Exhibition)

Wonzimer Gallery 

Dates of Show: September 3–September 30, 2022

Wonzimer Gallery is pleased to present "The Brain, The Seed", Cheyann Washington's first solo exhibition following numerous group exhibitions with the gallery.  Washington is a Belizean-American painter based in South Los Angeles. In Cheyann's ongoing studies, the figure serves as a mirror for nature. This overarching dialogue has been developed through countless techniques and draws inspiration from plant biology and organic chemistry.

In “The Brain The Seed” Cheyann introduces the audience to her work with colors, silk fabrics, gestural charcoal drawings, and anthropomorphic plants. Showcasing the variety of different materials she has experimented with. Her figures appear warm and gentle as if they have always been among us as creators and protectors. Through her paintings, she visualizes natural phenomena such as photosynthesis, metamorphosis, and the cycles of the sun and moon. Her studies in natural medicine and ethnobotany are further extended by this process. The imagery in her paintings consists of the movement of bodies, and seeds growing into plants. Which are influenced by the examination of her own body and the numerous plants living in her home.  

Washington creates her own world of blooming flowers and twirling figures as she balances symbolism and representation throughout her diverse body of work. In exploring the human relationship to nature, Cheyann draws attention to the mysticism of the natural environment. She expresses her consideration for the natural world during every stage of her painting process, from the moment she begins to paint up to the moment she exhibits her paintings. From working with Natural pigments to displaying her silks in a free-flowing manner, utilizing the wind to emphasize them.  Cheyann discovers universal truths through this holistic approach that are simple to understand, but utopian in scope.