Michelle Yi Martin and Johanna St. Clair: Curious Gestures -
Left: MICHELLE YI MARTIN, "Closed Wings" (detail), 2024, Metallic thread, monofilament, silk, wool, 54 x 23 inches, courtesy of Municipal Bonds; Right: JOHANNA ST. CLAIR, "Fort Scott Lattice" (detail), 2024, Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches, Courtesy of the artist;

Main Gallery

Michelle Yi Martin and Johanna St. Clair: Curious Gestures

April 5 - June 8, 2025

Curated by Louisa Gloger and Noelle Hiam

This collaboration between Michelle Yi Martin and Johanna St. Clair invites viewers to explore the fascinating tension between fragmentation and unity in both weaving and painting. Weaving, with its intricate dance of individual threads becoming a cohesive fabric, mirrors the dynamic of painting, where brushstrokes slip between distinct marks to create a narrative on a unified surface. In the spaces between threads, marks, and gestures, there exists a universal language, a visual dialogue that transcends the need for words, inviting the viewer to find possibility in the quiet moments of assembly.

Michelle Yi Martin is a multi-disciplinary artist based in San Francisco. Her practice is rooted in the progressive traditions of the Bauhaus and Black Mountain College. She is represented by Municipal Bonds in San Francisco.

Johanna St. Clair is an artist based in San Francisco with a practice of painting outdoors to develop an intuitive visual language. She is represented by Gallery 16.