The Things We Carry

Art is a mirror and a portal. It reflects our inner world, evokes emotions, and creates pathways to shared human experiences. The artists featured in The Things We Carry create work that convey personal stories of transformation as they navigate life’s most unimaginable obstacles of war, illness, incarceration, and migration. Merging beauty and depth, their work evokes healing and empathy, proving that we are not alone in the burdens we each carry.

The stories held within each work of art are personal. In Dragon Tail, 2025, Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn (Vietnam, 1976 – ) considered the aftermaths of the Vietnam War from which he fled as a child. Believing that objects and places hold stories, Nguyễn used pieces of unexploded bombs embedded in the Vietnamese landscape to construct a stunning kinetic mobile that emits healing sound frequencies when hit with a mallet.

Jordan Nassar (New York, 1985 – ) questions how Americans carry familial histories and preserve their cultural identities when part of a diaspora. Finding connections to his heritage, his large-scale textile facing the sunset, 2026, portrays a utopic vision of his ancestral homeland.

Another example is formerly incarcerated artist Jesse Krimes (Pennsylvania, 1982 – ) who crafts quilts that use clothing fragments and other materials gathered from current and former inmates. He aims to restore dignity and humanity to those serving prison sentences.

The Things We Carry is an invitation to reflect upon how we construct our identities in reaction to complex or difficult circumstances. The exhibition brings together some of the greatest contemporary artists working today alongside emerging voices. With new pieces created for the exhibition or chosen in concert with the artists, each work of art speaks of courage, hope, healing, and transformation. Encountering them helps us make sense of our world while conveying what it means to be human.