Carmen Neely, The Work of Fire, 2024. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim
Mariane Ibrahim is pleased to present, a solo exhibition of new works by Carmen Neely entitled, chronic conditions. On view from October 11 until November 30, 2024 this show marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in Paris and second solo exhibition with the gallery.
chronic conditions offers a portal into Carmen Neely’s intimate world, where semantic threads intertwine her subjectivity with the broader global realities that are both thrilling and terrifying. In her works, the present is embodied by the untamable red she wrestles with on linen and paper. As language transitions from its didactic origin into a realm of sensual flow, its textual contours melt into the overall composition. Embroidered and embossed, Neely’s gestures navigate the depths of the canvas, ultimately emerging as central elements that convey a pulsating vitality.
As writing moves through her work, language is foregrounded as a constant companion. Borrowed from texts of various origins, the text throughout the show is reflective of the intensities and intimacies of life. During the difficult moments marked by a diagnosis of a chronic condition, these expressions, scattered throughout the spaces Neely inhabited, served as companions to her—a reminder that there was a world beyond a moment that felt painfully infinite.
Throughout the formation of these works, a headline from the countless articles that shaped her media landscape echoed persistently: stretching the definition of what it means to look human. In this exhibition, this phrase is physically absorbed into the gallery walls as an in-situ installation, resembling the integration of technology into our quotidian interactions.
These works create a space where the social, political, and technological world we inhabit merge with the inner life of an artist who sublimates her emotions into chromatic and energetic strokes. Her words are sutures, binding the personal to the political.
chronic conditions, blurs the boundaries between inner dialogue and global reality, creating a space where vulnerability and vitality coexist, offering an evocative meditation on resilience in a world marked by its own mutability. As Carmen Neely states, “We really are fighting for human connection and that is one of the largest goals of the work for me.”
Excerpted Text by Curatorial Director, Marisol Rodriguez, “On Carmen Neely – chronic conditions”
