Better Days Ahead

 Arch Enemy Arts is thrilled to present BETTER DAYS AHEAD, Michael Weaver’s debut solo exhibition of seven mixed media paintings. Featuring ancient skeletons and antiquated weaponry, beautiful mushrooms and enchanting fauna, Weaver’s work possesses a raw dimensionality, accentuated by the distinctive process he’s developed. 

 A fiber artist turned painter, Weaver combines two very disparate mediums–wood and thread– to adorn his work. First, he uses acrylic paint atop vibrantly dyed wood panels, intentionally leaving the textured wood-grain ground intact. Then, by carefully boring tiny holes, he threads shapes and patterns into the wood for a finished product that is surprisingly subtle and cohesive. 

 “These pieces, compared to what I’ve done in the past, feel more alive,” Weaver told us. “The elements are really interacting, not just sitting there. They’re embedded in this actual environment instead of just sitting on top.” Like an underground network of fungal mycelium, Weaver’s graphic thread work ties his paintings together, connecting them into beautiful compositional ecosystems. 

 We had a great time visiting Michael Weaver’s studio prior to this exhibition, and we encourage you to check out our interview with him in AEA Blog Vol. I, to learn more about his experience creating this exciting new exhibition.

​- Candice Musher