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 Chellis Baird

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My practice explores how daily actions impact social fabric. The repetitive gestures of today’s digital culture--scrolling, typing, clicking--have drastically altered the way we interact collectively, intellectually and emotionally. To experience the motion of art, I blur the lines between paint and canvas, color and form. Twisted, knotted and stuffed ropes highlight the sublime tension between brush and canvas, at times violating the confines of the frame by bubbling over the two-dimensional surface. My textural language draws upon a lifetime of influences such as dance, fashion, textiles and color. These elements have become a constant source of inspiration for my handwoven canvases by catalyzing the emotional exploration of tangled compositions. Using unique perspectives, I invite the viewer to immerse themselves in the tactility of the human hand and spirit, with enough space to fill in and release their own emotions.

Baird received her BFA in textiles from Rhode Island School of Design and studied studio art at the Art Students League in New York City. Baird’s first solo museum exhibition, TETHERED, was held at the Myrtle Beach Art Museum in South Carolina from September 7 - December 19, 2021. Most recently, the artist was awarded a 2022 fellowship at the National Arts Club. Born in Spartanburg, SC, Baird now lives and works in New York City.