Clara Nartey: The Joy of Living

Heather Gaudio Fine Art, New Canaan

The Joy of Living, a solo exhibition by Clara Nartey, runs from December 2, 2023, until January 21, 2023, at Heather Gaudio Fine Art. During this first exhibition of the Ghanaian artist at HGFA, eleven new works are showcased, marked by vivid colors and symbolism, celebrating not only African American women but also the joy of life.

One could argue the eleven new works, thread on cotton, are characteristic—and in a way even exemplary—of Clara Nartey’s practice. Nartey’s medium consists of stitching and embroidery thread, engaging in both a historical and material dialogue with painting and art history. Colorful and, above all, symbolic portraits of African American women fill the exhibition space, evoking not only a rhythm throughout the show due to the patterned backgrounds but also pure joy and wonder in its color and beauty.

“At first, the self-taught artist created abstracted quilts and tapestries stitched in bright patterns with a palette that reflected her culture. Nartey’s lexicon became more immersive and personal when she turned to figurative work that questioned societal standards and expectations of beauty for women, particularly African American women. For centuries Eurocentric notions have dictated the acceptable aesthetic standards for women in society and, more recently, in a professional setting. African women have had to conform to treating their hair with chemicals to meet these norms. Nartey’s personal journey with embracing her natural self was also a path to accepting her identity and authenticity. From this catharsis, Nartey began depicting women in headshot portraits, donning them with elaborate hairstyles, headdresses, and wearing vibrantly colored fabrics. These are mighty works that achieve a level of impactful artistic sophistication.” (Press release — Heather Gaudio Fine Art)

It is safe to say stitchwork and embroidery are experiencing a true revival and revaluation in contemporary art—with Clara Nartey emphasizing the importance, relevance, and possibilities of the medium in question once more. Her unique approach and methodology enable the artist to incorporate various elements and symbols to create new narratives filled with meaning and multiple analogies. Challenging from both a visual and technical perspective, the parallels between oil on linen and thread on cotton are remarkably tangible in Nartey’s work. By manner of adinkra, Ghanaian symbols, the artist incorporates language in the form of symbols representing various concepts, telling stories, and memorializing events or wisdom inherently connected to her cultural identity. This solo exhibition, The Joy of Living consists of a series of works created during the pandemic, questioning life, death, and the artist’s own mortality—a plea to celebrate life in its simplicity and fullness.

The exhibition runs until January 21, 2023. For more information, please visit Heather Gaudio Fine Arts’s website.