Sienna Shields: Hollow Holds the Whole
On view Oct. 9, 2026– Sept. 2027
Third Floor, West Wing
Silty glacial rivers, lush beds of moss, velvety night skies, and the crystalline quality of Arctic light find expression in Hollow Holds the Whole, an immersive exhibition by Alaska-based artist Sienna Shields. Through large-scale beaded installations, video, and sound, Shields creates abstracted sculptural environments that invite visitors to experience the wonder and disorientation of encountering the natural world.
At the center of the exhibition is something remarkably small: a bead. Shields threads together hundreds of thousands of beads and miles of wire, transforming synthetic plastic hair beads and metal cable into expansive forms and environments. Through these materials, Shields draws connections among nature, technology, race, culture, and commerce, exploring forces that shape contemporary life at both intimate and global scales.
Silty glacial rivers, lush beds of moss, velvety night skies, and the crystalline quality of Arctic light find expression in Hollow Holds the Whole, an immersive exhibition by Alaska-based artist Sienna Shields. Through large-scale beaded installations, video, and sound, Shields creates abstracted sculptural environments that invite visitors to experience the wonder and disorientation of encountering the natural world.
At the center of the exhibition is something remarkably small: a bead. Shields threads together hundreds of thousands of beads and miles of wire, transforming synthetic plastic hair beads and metal cable into expansive forms and environments. Through these materials, Shields draws connections among nature, technology, race, culture, and commerce, exploring forces that shape contemporary life at both intimate and global scales.
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.