Artist Statement
The title, Carving Light, refers to my approach to portraiture in relief printmaking. I emphasize the light (or lack thereof) both on and around my subjects to convey an
intensity, power and strength, and even a sense of holiness. The works in this exhibition are of moments of quiet introspection and stillness, protest and triumph, and human connection in everyday life.

Artist Bio
ciara anais stewart (b. 1994) is a visual artist and cultural worker born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. In the last decade of her life, she has lived and grown as an artist in NorthCarolina, most of that time spent in Durham. In 2021, stewart earned her BA in Art, with a concentration in Studio Art from North Carolina Central University. In 2024, she was the HBCU Artist – In – Residence at Artspace in downtown Raleigh, which culminated in her first solo exhibition, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free. She was also a 2025 recipient of the Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant from the Durham Arts Council.

Website
ciaraexistsinthefuture.com