Roots & Wings – Textures of a Migratory Life

ON VIEW January 26 – May 19,  2026  

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Discover vibrant artwork that reflects on identity, memory, and the journey between home and freedom.  

In Roots & Wings, artist Ronit Shalem investigates how identity takes shape through lived experience, movement, and imagination. This collection features 40 works on canvas, leather, wood, and mixed media, each created with rich texture and personal narrative. 

Shalem draws inspiration from migratory animals, ancient symbols, textiles, and landscapes from her experiences in the Middle East and in South and Central America. Each intricate composition echoes the woven rugs and decorative patterns that sparked her visual curiosity as a child. 

Through repetition, bold colors, and intricate shapes, Shalem invites us to reflect. How do our foundations give rise to new possibilities?  Transformation often begins with what is familiar. Roots & Wings helps us think about how we carry the past forward while making space for what is still yet to come.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ronit Shalem is a visual artist who blends storytelling, patterns, and symbolic details. Originally from Israel and now based in Northern California, Shalem is drawn to layered textures and ancient motifs that evoke cultural memory. 

Her work often begins with loose outlines that evolve into highly detailed imagery. Using animals, repeated shapes, and vivid colors, she creates imaginative worlds that feel both playful and deeply reflective. 

Shalem views nature as a space of honesty and freedom, where identity can shift and be reimagined. Whether fierce or delicate, her figures embody aspects of the inner self. “Art is my language,” she says, “a way to process life and hold all of its contradictions with care.” 

Roots & Wings dives into the delicate balance between holding on and moving forward, weaving a story that is both deeply personal and universally human.