CLAIRE A. WARDEN – MIMESIS
2026-01-12Working with alternative photographic processes, Warden physically intervenes in the creation of her images, manipulating silver halides directly on the negative. This deliberate disruption of the photographic surface becomes a metaphor for the layered forces—cultural, biological, historical—that shape identity. The resulting abstractions evoke visual languages borrowed from scientific imagery: cellular structures, topographic formations, and celestial fields. These references suggest systems of classification and observation, while simultaneously revealing their limitations when applied to something as fluid and complex as the self.
Mimesis positions photography not as a tool for description, but as a site of negotiation between visibility and erasure. The works hover between portraiture and landscape, presence and absence, reflecting how racialized identities are often read through fragmented or inadequate frameworks. By obscuring literal representation, Warden foregrounds the emotional and psychological dimensions of perception, challenging the viewer to confront how meaning is projected rather than discovered.
Opposite – Emphasis, 2015
Exhibition runs through to February 21st, 2026
Candela Books + Gallery
214 West Broad Street
Richmond
VA 23220
