Painter and printmaker Stephanie Joyce’s new exhibit “Unfolding,” is about sacred symbols of ancient tradition that takes the viewer to the very heart of what it is to be human. Even in today’s western culture, seemingly dominated by rationalism, consumerism, and constant visual innovation, shared symbols continue to shape our mental and emotional landscapes. The urge to articulate the connections of the universe, and our place within it, is an intrinsic human need that we share with our earliest ancestors. The body of work in this exhibit incorporates signs and symbols through painting, sculpture and printmaking. Joyce’s inspiration for her images were drawn from such sources as Carl Jung’s Man and his Symbols and poetry from Rumi to Mary Oliver, in particular, The Layers by Stanley Kunitz, which was instrumental in the “unfolding” of this body of work; as well as the unconscious as explored through dream journaling, and materials found in the natural world. Of her work, Stephanie comments, “Nature has been manipulated through a range of materials, all of which have been transformed and repurposed so that they transcend definitions and traditions. The outcome is an art experience which enters a mystical realm where ritual, genealogy and anthropological roots are explored.”