Exploring racial identity at the Chase Gallery: ‘My Other Half’

The Chase Gallery is hosting “My Other Half,” a new exhibition by artist April Werle through Dec. 22.

“I think my work is for everyone, as you can’t escape your own personal and cultural history,” Werle said, “and that is not something I personally want to escape.”

The gallery describes the show as one shaped by the artist’s mixed Filipino American background and her ideas in the social construct of race.

Werle grew up in Montana within a small Filipino community where she learned more about her mother’s Filipino heritage and her father’s Montana background.

“I have always been really fascinated by racial identity and cultural identity,” Werle said, “but I realized that these are actually separate concepts that influence each other.”

Werle said cultural identity is rooted in things that are tangible, “like food we eat, the way we live our lives and the stories we tell.”

“Racial identity is the things we made up not that long ago in the grand scheme of things,” Werle said. “I like to juxtapose that with horror and fantasy, because the genre we know is not real.”

Werle’s exhibition features a mirror, inviting viewers to confront their self-perception and the haunting presence of racial identity. She says the mirrors are central to the work: “When you look into them, you become part of the story.”

“I want everyone, regardless of their background, to feel included in the conversation about race,” Werle said.

She shares how she thinks “race is a taboo subject and she wants people to understand what critical race theory is and how race is made up, but racism is very real. And to understand that is how we empower people to advocate for non racist policy, because then we understand what it is and what we are doing.”

The pieces are created using acrylic and stain on wood panels, a technique that supports the narrative quality of the work. The presence of candles emphasizes the feeling of entering a story with deep meaning.

“Candles represent a sense of control over what the character is seeing in the mirror,” she said.

She shares that, in some pieces, there are burnt candles on one side of the mirror while the other side is lit. This represents who has control within or which version of ourselves is in control, so “code switching” is a major theme within this body of work.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 5, there is an artist talk and reception at the Chase Gallery, where Werle will share more themes behind “My Other Half.”

“I just want people to reflect on their participation in creating this belief system that is race,” Werle said.