Fragments of identity and meaning surface in new student exhibition

How do artists map inner states without saying a word?

In the new CWU Art + Design student exhibit titled Tethered, Diana Mamchits explores themes of cultural identity, memory, and emotional transformation through a variety of media embedded in metaphors and the natural world.

An opening reception for Tethered will be held Tuesday, May 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Gallery 231 in Randall Hall at Central Washington University.

“My practice stems from the need to understand myself,” Mamchits says, who won the Anima Award of Excellence in Painting at the 2024 Juried Student Art Exhibition. “Some pieces start with a plan while others begin without knowing where they’ll go.”

Growing up in Washington state, Mamchits developed a deep connection to nature. It appears often in her work and has become part of her visual language. Her work is rooted in personal experience but often reaches beyond it, responding to events that impact her life and the world around her.

Mamchits works primarily in painting and ceramics. She says painting offers a sense of control, while clay, with its softness and fragility, allows space to let go.

If you would like to learn more about the Tethered exhibit, email diana.mamchits@cwu.edu.

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Image: The Forgotten Invader, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in.