Joy Machine's new exhibition "Feel Free" features works by four artists—Rachel Hayden, Paulina Ho, Hanna Lee Joshi, and Jeremy Miranda—who explore the relationship between art, time, and impermanence. Each artist uses distinct materials and techniques, such as acrylic, colored pencils, textiles, and Japanese indigo, to create pieces that reflect on change and transience. Standout works include Hayden's checkerboard-patterned paintings that evoke collage and impermanence, and Ho's indigo-dyed textiles that capture fleeting moments.
The exhibition matters because it engages with a timeless philosophical question—how art grapples with change and permanence—through contemporary visual practices. By presenting varied perspectives on impermanence, the show invites viewers to reconsider traditional conceptions of art and its ability to capture or resist the passage of time. It also highlights the work of emerging and mid-career artists, contributing to ongoing dialogues in the Chicago art scene.