Alberni uses her new exhibition ‘Fragments’ to illustrate the narrative of fragmented lives and irreversible damage both visually and physically. In contrast to the hopeless narrative of destruction, Alberni seeks to use her artwork to create a positive, hopeful spirit for the future. Alberni assembles objects and layers in her work in a brightly colored, harmonious fashion, which invites the viewer in for a deeper contemplation of each composition.

Central Piedmont’s Dove Gallery will host a new exhibition by esteemed Vietnamese artist, Kenny Nguyen. Born in Vietnam, and with a background in fashion design, Nguyen exhibits his work across the US and internationally.

As a Vietnamese immigrant now living and working as an artist in the United States, much of Nguyen’s work explores ideas related to cultural identity, displacement, reconciling with the past and the artistic fusion of Vietnamese and American cultures.

Nguyen uses silk, in tribute to his Vietnamese culture, deconstructs it into strips, and then dips it in paint. Thousands of these strips creates sculptural works of art that Nguyen calls “deconstructed paintings.” The action of deconstruction and reconstruction, and transformation of the fine silk into a sculptural painting echoes Nguyen’s journey forging his own identity while continuously incorporating all of the unique elements that make Nguyen who he is today.

The anchor work of The Work of Their Hands: American Quiltmaking is a tulip quilt made 170 years ago by an now unknown, enslaved woman in North Carolina. Through her masterful stitchwork and time-honored design, this unknown artist sewed a story of strength and perseverance.   Spinning forward from this quilt and its practice, The Work of Their Hands:  American Quiltmaking explores the continuing legacy of quilt-making and the evolution of textile art, starting with traditional quilts made for bed coverings to contemporary fabric artworks by artists including Brittney Boyd Bullock, Celeste Butler, Robin Cowley, Michael Cummings, Gee’s Bend quilters, Michael James, Precious Lovell, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Carolyn Mazloomi, Mary Pal, Hattie Schmidt, Beverly Smith, The Advocacy Project, and others.

To Take Shape and Meaning: Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art features works by 75 Indigenous artists from over 50 tribes throughout the United States and Canada, including eight from North Carolina. The exhibition, composed exclusively of 3-D artworks, includes baskets made of blown glass, cars transformed into works of art, and cutting

Quilts materialize the bonds of home, family, and community as they are passed down from generation to generation. Yet they are also records of our shared history, interwoven with broader social, cultural, and economic legacies that make up the complex fabric of the United States.

SECCA (North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem) is proud to present Flutter, an exhibition of photography by Los Angeles-based artist David Gilbert, on view in SECCA's Main Gallery. Flutter marks the artist's first institutional solo exhibition, providing the unique opportunity to experience twelve years of Gilbert's work in one setting. David Gilbert (American, b. 1982) creates photographs that flirt with impermanence. The artist constructs playful sculptures, backdrops, and scenes from found materials, photographing them in distinctive views and dramatic natural light. The resulting pictures capture spontaneous moments, paired with lightheartedness and sensitivity. An opening reception with the artist and curator will be held Thursday, April 18 from 6–8pm.