Pan American Art Projects is pleased to present It Wasn’t a Dream, It Was a Flood, a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Chantae Elaine Wright, curated by Claudia Taboada. The exhibition will open on April 6, 2025, and run through June 7, 2025, at our Little River gallery (274 NE 67th Street, Miami, FL 33138).
This body of work by Wright explores the complex layers of memory, trauma, and resilience, using abstract forms and emotive visual language to depict the tumultuous nature of personal and collective experiences. Her mixed-media pieces are a response to societal upheavals, bringing forth powerful reflections on identity, history, and transformation.
The title of this exhibition, It Wasn’t a Dream, It Was a Flood, draws inspiration from Frank Stanford’s film, a poetic narrative that mirrors the surrealism and raw emotional intensity present in Wright’s paintings. Like Stanford’s cinematic world, Wright’s canvases refuse linearity; they exist in a space where time dissolves, and history, both personal and collective, seeps through in waves of color and form.
It Wasn’t a Dream, It Was a Flood invites viewers to witness Wright’s compelling exploration of how personal and cultural floods—whether literal or metaphorical—shape who we are and how we navigate the world. Through this exhibition, Wright challenges the boundaries of traditional painting and invites a closer dialogue between the viewer and the raw intensity of the subject matter.
About the Artist
Chantae Elaine Wright is a mixed-media artist based in Miami, Florida. Her work is deeply influenced by her multicultural familial history, personal narratives, and portraiture, whether through painting or photography. Rooted in figuration, Wright’s practice begins with self-curated photo shoots, using photographic source material as the foundation for her expression. Expanding into an ardent exploration of polymorphism, she not only captures glimpses into her subjects’ lives but also challenges dominant societal ideologies, broadening the narrative of otherness to include everyday lived experiences.
Her studio process is defined by the layered use of acrylic, oil, China marker, pastel, charcoal, spray paint, marker, ink, and photography on canvas. Wright’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at Art Miami with Pan American Art Projects, Magic City: Contemporary Visions of Miami at the Doral Contemporary Art Museum, and Kapitel 70: Erkenntnis und Risiko in Berlin. She has also participated in artist talks and residencies, such as TAKT A.I.R. in Berlin, and received numerous awards, including the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator Scholarship.
Wright is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting at Florida International University, continuing to push artistic boundaries and redefine representation within contemporary figuration.
