In Evidence, a solo exhibition at ArtYard curated by Elsa Mora, multidisciplinary artist Natalie de Segonzac’s self-portraits are intended as both a metaphor for a mind held in tension between extremes and a declaration of her identity as an artist, woman, and person with a disability. The show traces de Segonzac’s evolution as an artist over the past decade — and her continued investigation of the hidden complexities of the mind and its relationship to the body before and since she began using a wheelchair following a spinal cord injury in 2016.

Among the works is Cube, a series of three self-portraits capturing the body as an object in space — filling, confined by, and embodying a cube-shaped container. In Environment, another self-portrait series, de Segonzac places herself and her wheelchair inside a building, on a city street, and in nature.

Evidence is one of two exhibitions on view at ArtYard featuring works by artists who have harnessed their creativity to heal from trauma and loss. 

Lance Weiler’s Where There’s Smoke unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father — a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer — and two devastating fires that struck his family in the early 1980s. Employing elements of immersive theater, interactive documentary, and emergent technology, Weiler guides visitors through a deconstructed, abstracted exploration of his father’s life through interviews he recorded during the final months of his father’s battle with colon cancer. 

Both artists created new work for these exhibitions during incubation residencies at ArtYard. 

Evidence and Where There’s Smoke continue through October 1 at ArtYard, located at 13 Front St., Frenchtown, New Jersey. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm, and until 7pm on Thursdays.

ArtYard is an incubator for creative expression and a catalyst for collaborations that reveal the transformational power of art. Its campus includes an arts center featuring exhibition space and a state-of-the-art theater as well as two buildings housing its residency program.

To learn more, visit artyard.org.