April Werle
Missoula, MT
Narrative painter depicting mixed-race identity, memory, and diaspora through magical realism and intimate domestic scenes
MessageApril Werle (b. 1995, Montana) is a narrative painter depicting mixed-race identity, memory, and diaspora through magical realism and intimate domestic scenes. Her recent solo exhibitions include I Live With a Ghost, PlatteForum; My Other Half, The Chase Gallery; and Secret Life of a Multicultural Couple, Bell Projects. Her work has also been exhibited at Brea Gallery and the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. Werle completed a residency at PlatteForum and the Emerging Artist Residency at Centrum Foundation. She was awarded the Creative West Artist Fund Award, as well as the ARPA Grant and the Strategic Investment Grant from the Montana Arts Council. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings and Create! Magazine.
Statement
My work features disembodied hand characters experiencing life in vibrant, colorful settings that contrast from their grayscale forms. In close proximity to these figures, viewers are invited into intimate moments that depict important nostalgic memories—scenes portraying fundamental experiences that shape the characters’ sense-of-self. Inspired by family memories and 90s-00s American Pop TV, my work references images and cultural narratives that portray duality and conflicting cultural influence. Windows, mirrors, and screens are often seen in the work as reflective surfaces, as well as barriers within the narratives. With distorted space and color inspired by cartoons, I play with the idea that nostalgic memories can be both happy and filled with grief. From paintings to installation, my work explores memory and the evolving awareness of belonging.
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