Sienna Shields: Hollow Holds the Whole
On view Oct. 9, 2026– Sept. 2027
Third Floor, West Wing
Evoking silty glacial rivers, lush beds of moss, velvety night skies, and the luminous quality of Arctic light, Hollow Holds the Whole invites viewers to traverse a landscape of abstracted sculptural environments. Comprising immersive beaded installations, video, and sound, Sienna Shields’ exhibition cultivates the wonderment and disorientation that can occur when encountering elemental nature.
In her hands, the small hollow of a bead becomes a vehicle of expansive connection as Shields threads together hundreds of thousands of beads and miles of wire. The physical and social resonance of her materials takes on new dimensionality—synthetic plastic hair beads and metal cable evoke connections to technology, race, culture, and commerce—forces that shape contemporary life at both the micro and macro levels.
About the artist
Sienna Shields is an Alaska-based artist whose practice spans painting, collage, quilting, performance, film, and installation. She was a founding member of The Yams collective and a core member of the DUMBA collective. Her work has been presented in museums, galleries, and festivals across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe.