Austin Arts Collective

March 28, 2026 - May 09, 2026

From Unchained.Art:
"Unchained.Art Contemporary Gallery presents favorite pieces: the artist’s edit, the gallery’s Annual Invitational bringing together artists from Austin and beyond in a personal and revealing look at what matters most within their practice.
In this exhibition, each artist presents one self-selected work, a piece they consider essential to their practice. Removed from external framing, the selection becomes personal and direct. What emerges is not a survey, but a concentrated view into what each artist believes holds weight within their body of work.
Spanning painting and sculpture, the exhibition reflects the evolving scope of the gallery’s program. Long-standing collaborators appear alongside newly introduced voices, creating a layered dialogue across material, gesture, and perspective. The result is expansive yet deliberate, unified by the act of selection itself.
“favorite pieces is about bringing people closer to the artists,” says Christina Hiltscher, Founder and Director of Unchained.Art Contemporary Gallery. “When an artist chooses the one work that means the most to them, you see something different. You see what they return to, what they stand behind, and what feels essential from their own perspective.”
Each work is accompanied by the artist’s own words explaining why it matters. These statements open a more intimate layer of the exhibition, offering insight into process, memory, and intention. The result is not simply a presentation of artworks, but an opportunity to experience them through the artist’s lens.
Austin-based artist Via Boley reflects on her selection:
“Choosing a favorite piece required me to step outside the usual rhythm of the studio and look back across my practice. Each work is a fragment of where I was at that moment and evidence of what I had yet to understand. Looking back at the work reminded me how important it is to balance the past and the future in the studio.”
Boley’s selected work, Impermanent:, marks a turning point in her practice, signaling her transition from observational imagery toward a more abstract visual language.
As Unchained.Art Contemporary marks three years in Austin, favorite pieces underscores the gallery’s commitment to meaningful dialogue between artists and collectors. Founded in Zurich in 2020 and now based in a historic Beaux-Arts building in downtown Austin, the gallery presents a curated program connecting emerging and established artists from Europe, North America, and beyond. With exhibitions in Austin and abroad, the gallery brings an international perspective paired with strong local voices to Austin’s evolving art scene."

Reception March 26, 2026 | 5:00 - 8:00 pm

From Wally Workman Gallery:
"Known for his assertive brushstrokes and bold, expressive color, Puckett creates commanding paintings that balance stillness with underlying energy. His figures often appear at rest, yet their environments pulse with vibrancy and movement. Through direct eye contact and dynamic settings, his subjects project a quiet confidence and inner vitality. Each figure embodies a sense of self-assurance that mirrors the artist’s unapologetic and decisive painting technique.
Puckett’s work draws from a life lived in the American South, resulting in visual compositions that feel both personal and inventive. His paintings are not direct representations, but rather carefully constructed interpretations shaped by memory, place, and experience.
Puckett earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002, where he studied under professor James Meade. He currently lives and works in Jackson, Mississippi.
This exhibition marks a continued and significant relationship between the artist and the gallery, highlighting the evolution of Puckett’s distinctive voice in contemporary figurative painting.
The exhibition will open with a reception on Saturday, May 9th at Wally Workman Gallery. The public is invited to attend."

Reception May 09, 2026 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm

May 11, 2026 - May 17, 2026