Art is new to my life; it is something that I experience with an open heart and open arms, doing my best not to include my mind. I believe that art is to be felt. Through Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro’s pieces and explanation, I felt his art.

The pieces were unlike any I have explored in the past year. They were difficult to place any one story to, yet very expressive in the stories they told.

One piece that caught my eye was “Refugees”. Three very distinct faces popping out of what appeared to be a fabric; it could have been ocean waves, when placed in context. After my interaction with the piece, I proceeded to engage in conversation with Nicholas, in order to ask what inspired the piece. He went on to explain that “Refugees” was an earlier piece of his; it was a piece that was almost a refugee itself, during his family’s moving process. Interestingly, he connected “Refugees” to a piece that was further down the wall titled “Family of Six”. He explained that both pieces were created during different periods of his life that placed the notion and experience of refugees in his face. He had gone from a piece of random people on different journeys, to a piece that consisted of a refugee family.

These two pieces have left me wondering about his interactions with refugees and what stories he may have felt. Personally, I love when recurring themes of artists’ lives are reflected through their work.

Overall, I’m grateful to have encountered Nicholas’s unique character and pieces.