2024 MFA THESIS EXHIBITION
amber buhalts

JANUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Many of my earlier paintings included an interior space of some kind. I have also incorporated other actions as a constant in my studio practice that has a similar domestic feel. I have used fabric as my main canvas for all of my paintings for over a year. I paint using acrylic paint. I have used the actions of collage, cutting, connecting fabric with safety pins, stuffing fabric with pillow stuffing, and hand stitching as marks in my artwork. I have really enjoyed the way that those activities have had me feel close to the women in my family. My grandmas used crochet and knitting. My Aunt is very good at preservation and in my eyes is seen as the person that knows where all of the family heirlooms are. 

I have personally moved around a lot in life and because of that, do not have a lot of possessions. I do own things from my childhood and there are objects I have had for over decades that I intend to continue to hold on to that have a lot of meaning for me. I think because I have been a nomad, I have developed a really successful process in deciding what actual stuff in my life I give value to and what stuff I am ready to let go of. Initially when I began my art making journey, I focused a lot on technique and intentionatlly did not want a lot of narrative or personal life elements to come into my pieces. Over time I naturally of course have felt more confident in my skills and that has meant I have felt a desire to paint and make art about real life things I am currently going through that do not have a current resolution. The more experience I have in painting from real life experiences, the more I am finding each piece of art is also being imbued with some sort of estimated value based on my current emotional state and relationship to the subject matter. 

Thinking about antiques, my ancestors and history have been consistent elements I have continued to bring in to my practice. One thing I often do if I am feeling stuck in my studio, is to go to a local antique store and see if I can find a resource that would inspire me to get back into painting or making something. The local store I go to has an amazing collection of things that feel very nostalgic for me. I have 3 magazines from the 70s that are called Cracked that have a lot of great imagery. I have an amazing 1910s scrapbook that has page after page packed with items from that time period. I have obsessively been listening to a podcast called The Dollop which is an American history podcast ran by these 2 comedians. They have over 500 episodes so I have obtained a lot of obscure knowledge about the absurdity of America. Some of those elements have shown up in the art work I have made. It’s been a newer development that my obsessions and personal life emotions have wanted to express and be worked through in my artwork. It is something I am happy with and also am open to it eventually evolving into something that looks much different in the future.

Lately I have found enjoyment in playing inside of the actual walls of my apartment by using items I own and making collages. For the most part I have only had interest in making two dimensional pieces. This exploration is ultimately what led to my interest in making something sculptural. The desire to have something three dimensional made is what led to me exploring pattern on the couch I made out of cardboard. The piece in the show titled Sticky Lineage that contains a family heirloom is an example of me branching outside of the comfort zone I had created on two dimensional paintings. I recently was given a doily with my last name on it that my great grandmother made. When my Aunt first received the doily she had it framed and had it hung in her guest bedroom. The house where it was hung is the first house I lived in when I left my childhood home that I lived in during my early 20s. I recognized its resemblance to some of my work and installed it in my studio as one cohesive piece. Connecting the framed doily with work I made on patterned fabric, has me feel intimately connected to my lineage. It is both exciting and healing to find intimacy in my art with women in my family who used crochet and preservation as a functional and artistic expression. 

I have a history filled with a lot of trauma. In my adulthood I have searched for ways to transmute that pain into power. The process of making art has become a deeply healing and nourishing practice for me in that regard. There is such a beauty in being able to take a narrative that historically had so much charge and pain for me personally and paint or draw from it. Not only does it help me to heal, I am also able to compartmentalize aspects of my history into a singular piece. Doing so has often given me a completely new perspective on the situation. In my day to day, if I am ever feeling overwhelmed or ungrounded, pulling out my markers or paint almost always helps to ground and center me.  

In general, art making has given the parts of my mind that have historically felt unsafe a safe place to play and express. In doing so, I have come to understand how sentimental, deep and nostalgic I enjoy being. I find in the process of making art, I am either intentionally or surprisingly connecting to emotions within. My hope is that each piece acts as an example for others to feel and express their own.

Amber Buhalts is a painter and online content creator based in Fairfield, IA. She received a BFA in Studio Art from Maharishi International University in 2021. Her MFA thesis show at Maharishi International University is scheduled for Jan 2024. Amber was born and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Since she was 19, she’s been a bit of a nomad and has lived in many places including Manhattan, Dallas and San Francisco. Her first creative love is singing. She was a part of her school choir first through twelfth grade and was also in a worship band.