Andrea Guskin: Fracture Zones

Metal ridges, formed by the force of the body; fissures mended with needle and thread – these are the visceral, intimate topographies in Andrea Guskin’s new work.
Inspired by the geographical language and imagery of topographic maps — particularly the large scars forming “fracture zones” deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean — Guskin uses these scars and fissures as a metaphor for the layers of emotional experience related to ancestry, immigration, and lost family narratives. By focusing on her own ancestors’ journeys, the work reflects on the path that so many have taken to cross oceans on the way to new lands, the stories that are lost along the way, and what is unseen below the depths.
Applying paint with pieces of found textiles, Guskin uses her body to crunch, push, and smooth metal surfaces into place before ripping into the ridges and creating gaps. She then mends these fractures with needle and thread, creating emotional and bodily topographies — a space where, perhaps, some repair can take place.

Bio:
Andrea Guskin is a San Francisco Bay Area based artist working across multiple disciplines including photography, sculpture, and painting to create objects and installations where the familiar converses with the existential. With interests in quantum physics, ancestral archives, and Buddhist philosophy, she transforms everyday materials—spices, funnels, foil, thread—to explore our relationship to the vast, from microscopic particles to deep space. After studying painting at Antioch College in Ohio, Guskin moved to New York City and became part of the art and songwriting communities on the Lower East Side. Since moving to California in 2003, she has regularly exhibited her work throughout California, often combining her experience in museum education (The Oakland Museum,The Contemporary Jewish Museum) with her creative practice to lead participatory art events throughout the Bay Area including the Richmond Art Center, Berkeley Art Center, The Drawing Room, and the Red Poppy Art House. Guskin graduated with an M.F.A in Interdisciplinary Arts from Mills College at Northeastern University.

Gallery Hours: Friday and Saturday, 12 – 5 pm (and by appointment)
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 3 – 5 pm
Artists’ Talk: Saturday, May 17, 3 -5 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: May 2, 5 – 9 pm

Image: Andrea Guskin, “Mending Gaps,” detail, 15″ x 11″, 2025 acrylic paint and thread on aluminum, photo courtesy of the artist