March 31-April 5, 2026
Public Reception Friday, April 3 5-6:30 pm
Carlos Gallery in the Visual Art Building
The Carlos Gallery in the Visual Art Building at the University of the South is pleased to present Fragments of Love and Pain, an exhibition by Sunny Bowers, C'26. Fragments of Love and Pain describes the sensory experience of being human as we relate and interact with our surroundings, other beings, and ourselves. This body of work begs people to understand their crucial role in creating a more loving and empathetic world, not only for oneself but also for others, through engaging in acts of empathy found within vulnerability. This work combines large-scale painting with improvised violin sound sculptures as well as drawing with violin and guitar music to create an immersive experience that expresses the overwhelming nature of being. The auditory pieces animate the narrative of my visual works making it performative and blur the separation of the reality we experience and the imaginary reality that exists within the work. The inclusion of nude female bodies, cows, intense color palettes, dripping paint, and unstructured sound sculptures create friction between beauty and discomfort. Fragments of Love and Pain examines anxiety, grief, existentialism, power dynamics, and the female body, inviting the audience to consider what is valuable about being human and reflect on how to bring more empathy to a world where it is lacking. Sunny Bowers combines visual art and music to consider what is valuable about being human and speak to themes of empathy, uncertainty, and existentialism. Bowers was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland and is a student at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee pursuing a BA in both Art and Music. Her work has been featured in Sticks Magazine as well as exhibited in the Carlos Gallery and the EQB Building at The University of the South. While at Sewanee she has worked as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow and as a freelance graphic designer. Bowers is also a classically trained violinist.
