JoAnne Artman Gallery, presents:
The Things We Keep: MARY FINLAYSON
December 1st, 2025 – January 31st, 2026
Cost: FREE
JoAnne Artman Gallery
346 N Coast Hwy | Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Contact: JoAnne Artman
Telephone: 949-510-5481 | E-mail: joanneartman@aol.com
Website: https://www.joanneartmangallery.com/art/the-things-we-keep-mary-finlayson/
The Things We Keep
JoAnne Artman Gallery is proud to present The Things We Keep, a solo exhibition of new works by artist Mary Finlayson. Known for her vibrant, pattern-rich interiors, Finlayson explores the deep connections between identity, memory, and the objects that shape our personal spaces.
In The Things We Keep, Mary Finlayson invites viewers into her world of domestic storytelling, transforming everyday interiors into vivid, intimate narratives. Through her bold use of color, flattened perspective, and layered pattern, she explores the emotional weight of the objects we surround ourselves with—heirlooms, furniture, plants, books, and art. These possessions become vessels of memory and meaning, reflecting identity, personal history, and connection. By spotlighting these familiar yet deeply personal items, the exhibition emphasizes themes of attachment, nostalgia, and the stories that shape who we are.
Drawing inspiration from Matisse, David Hockney, and California’s light-filled modernism, Finlayson infuses her compositions with both nostalgia and immediacy. Her interiors are joyful yet contemplative, inviting viewers to consider the meaning behind the spaces we inhabit and the collections we curate.
The Things We Keep is an invitation to reflect on the personal stories embedded within our surroundings. Finlayson’s paintings suggest that the objects we hold close are more than material things, they are touchstones of memory, shaping our sense of self and deepening our connections with others while challenging viewers to slow down, reflect, and rediscover beauty in the familiar.
Born in Vancouver in 1982, Finlayson lives and works in San Francisco. She studied at Queen’s University and completed graduate work in art therapy and arts education. Her artistic journey includes residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Otis College of Art and Design (Los Angeles), and Facebook’s Artist-in-Residence program in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in solo exhibitions, public commissions (including collaborations with Asana, Google, and Anthropologie), and private collections worldwide.
Mary Finlayson’s work will inspire, provoke, engage and mesmerize. With visual perceptions always changing, peek behind the stories told and you’re sure to find the right artistic expression.