Artist Bio:
In a world where everyone experiences both being judged and still becoming the judge, Jackson, TN native, Callie Hollowell creates paintings and wood reliefs that examine the uneasy cycle of judgement. Callie draws inspiration from her personal experiences of scrutiny and how they intersect with the broader social themes of faith, identity, and gender. She works as a direct style painter to build compositions that depict TVs, from varying decades, in numerous settings to portray the enduring cultural presence of judgement and its contradictory dynamic. Currently studying in the BFA Studio Art program at UT Martin, Callie has been in several student group exhibitions, and is preparing for her senior exhibition in the UTM Fine Arts gallery next spring. During her time in the program, Callie was named as one of the 2025 Who’s Who Among Students, and was the recipient of the 2025 League of Striving Artists scholarship as well as the 2024 Snyder Visual Art Scholarship.
Artist Statement:
My work consists of paintings and wood reliefs that explore the duality of judgement: the pain of being judged and the complicity of judging others. In this body of work, I paint compositions with TVs that are personified as myself, or anyone who carries the weight of being seen; someone whose image is examined and scrutinized for how you live your life. The TVs are depicted as belonging to various decades to symbolize the enduring nature of judgement and how it has persisted throughout every era of human history. Some pieces include screens with figurative scenes, while others glitch or blur with static to evoke themes of isolation and alienation, as well as the gravity of guilt and shame. The imagery highlights the tension between the discomfort of being observed yet still observing, which prompts viewers to consider their own role in this contradictory dynamic. Ultimately the work aims to acknowledge the mutual cycle of judgement and to cultivate a more conscious awareness of how we see and respond to one another.