Some stories make us laugh or cry, but others tie a string around our hearts and pull out memories of our similar experiences. Rhonda Donovan’s artworks tell those stories, and how family and other lived conditions frame our response. These shared encounters become woven into our lives and are communicated through her work’s visually tactile experience and material choices, the way they are assembled, and the resulting surface conditions. The memories primarily revolve around Donovan’s experiences, but also leave a space for viewers to create their own interpretations. Metaphors of pain and joy exist together, reminding us to hold onto hope and search for the possibility of repair.

Donovan maintains an active studio practice while teaching art at the University of South Florida, and has received recognition through exhibitions, curation, publications, and awards in various U.S. and European cities, including Venice, Italy during the Venice Biennale of Architecture over summer of 2021. In 2022 she was invited to join Viridian Artists Gallery in New York City. She is scheduled for a solo exhibition in this Manhattan space during the 2024 season.

Courtesy of Viridian Artists