On view February 3 – June 18, 2023
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) presents Remnant and Echoes, a solo exhibition of work by Richmond-based artist Hillary Waters Fayle, on view at the Tephra ICA at Signature gallery February 3 – June 18. A reception and artist talk will be held on Friday, February 3 at 6pm at the Signature Apartments in Reston Town Center.
Hillary Waters Fayle is most often recognized for her “Stitched Botanicals”, intricate embroidery on individual found leaves, and her “Portraits of Place”, for which she collects botanical samples from a particular location and creates large mandala-like arrangements of the leaves and petals. This exhibition shows examples from these two series and takes a broader look at the variety of modes of making that comprise her practice, including cyanotypes, collage work, patterns cut into leaves, hand-drawn quilt squares, and composition studies sewn from fabric scraps – many of which have not previously been shown publicly. Through this survey of material processes, Remnants and Echoes traces the artist’s exploration of naturally occurring patterns and savors the revelatory potential of her deliberately slow pace.
“I’m inspired by a lot of natural patterns, and the things I see in the world […] then also I am very inspired by looking at historical textiles, patterns in the decorative arts throughout history,” says Waters Fayle. “Hillary’s work invites us to quiet ourselves and pay attention to the minute details of each of her processes. The hours of labor are legible in her work, and when we slow down with each piece, whole worlds open up,” adds Hannah Barco, Associate Curator at Tephra ICA.
Hillary Waters Fayle received an MFA in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BFA from Buffalo State College. She is an Assistant Professor and directs the fiber program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Waters Fayle’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY; United States Embassy to Sri Lanka, Colombo; and the Kalmthout Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in Belgium. Her work is currently on view at the United States Embassy in Algiers, Algeria and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Recent projects and publications include collaborations with Domestika, L’Occitane en Provance, and the New York Botanical Garden. A public installation in collaboration with the AKG Museum can be seen year-round in Buffalo, New York.
Tephra ICA at Signature, located at the Signature apartment building in Reston, Virgnia, is an innovative satellite gallery space that presents a year-round schedule of exhibitions featuring work by local and regional artists as selected by Tephra ICA curatorial staff. The gallery is provided in partnership with Boston Properties and Bozzuto and generously supported by Reston Community Center.
Visitors are welcome Tuesday–Saturday from 11am–5pm. The gallery is located at the Signature apartment building at 11850 Freedom Dr, Reston, Virginia.
Opening Reception and Artist Talk
Friday, February 3 at 6pm
11850 Freedom Dr,
Reston, Virginia
Free and open to the public
Image credit: Hillary Waters Fayle, Botanical Blueprint: Hortus Arboretum, 2020
About Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA)
Tephra ICA is a non-profit, non-collecting institution committed to promoting innovative contemporary art and thinking. Leading with curiosity and care, the organization is a catalyst, generator, and advocate for visual arts.
Tephra ICA is supported in part by ArtsFairfax, Reston Community Center, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tephra ICA
2001 Market St #103
Reston, VA
