Searching for refugia
An installation by Chiara Rose Skabelund
opening Reception Friday, October 17th 6-8pm
Exhibition Dates: October 17th - November 16th
Refugia are sanctuaries—places where life can take root and flourish when the world feels harsh and uncertain. Searching for Refugia reflects on the urgent need for these sanctuaries today, where acts of care, repair, and protection become a form of resistance.
Through weaving, embroidery, screen printing, ceramics, and welding, artist Chiara Rose Skabelund creates a layered installation that tells stories countering dehumanizing narratives. Her work emerges from direct experiences along the U.S./Mexico border—building homes with Rancho Feliz in Agua Prieta, supporting food kitchens and migrant shelters in Nogales, and leaving water along desert trails with No More Deaths and Tucson Samaritans.
Each thread, mark, and form becomes a gesture of repair. The monarch butterfly—migrating between Mexico and the United States—appears throughout the work as a fragile yet enduring symbol of hope, resilience, and witness.
This exhibition invites viewers into reflection and responsibility: how might we, too, become refugia—spaces where care, connection, and humanity endure?
About the Artist
Chiara Rose Skabelund is a mixed media and textile artist working across weaving, screen printing, illustration, and sculpture. Her practice centers social justice and environmental concerns, weaving personal and collective narratives into tactile, meaningful forms. A graduate of Arizona State University with a BFA in Textiles, she now lives in San Diego, where she shares her work through both her art business and contemporary gallery exhibitions. Inspired by the plants, animals, and landscapes of the places she inhabits, her art becomes an exploration of resilience, justice, and belonging.