Self-taught artist’s drawings and paintings trace displacement, identity and belonging; free opening party Friday, October 23, with DJ Vampyre Eyes
UTICA, NY — [October 16, 2026] — 4 Elements Studio will open The Weight She Carries, an exhibition of new work by artist Nyamuoch Nguoth, with a free opening party from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, October 23. The exhibition runs through November 23 at 4 Elements Gallery, 809 Court Street in downtown Utica.
Born in South Sudan and raised in refugee camps, Nguoth is a self-taught artist who works across several mediums but returns most often to charcoal, a material that was always within reach during their upbringing. Drawing and painting began for Nguoth as a means of survival and escape: a way to work through depression and find some freedom from the conditions of camp life.
The work in The Weight She Carries moves between two subjects. Earlier pieces record the everyday challenges of displacement. More recent work explores South Sudanese identity as Nguoth has come to know it, through stories passed down from their mother and grandmother rather than through lived experience. Together, the drawings and paintings ask viewers to see the world through a refugee’s eyes and to feel the weight of displacement.
Nguoth’s artistic path took a turn at Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya, where they held their first exhibition on World Refugee Day and saw how art could connect people. They went on to exhibit on World Refugee Day every year through 2023 and showed work at the Affordable Art Show in Nairobi, their first major exhibition.
The public is invited to the opening party, which features music by DJ Vampyre Eyes, light snacks and a cash bar. After the opening, the exhibition is on view during regular studio hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Save the Date: Art Expo 2026, Friday, November 27
4 Elements Studio’s annual Art Expo returns on Black Friday, November 27, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nearly 30 regional artists, Nguoth among them, will offer original paintings, prints, ceramics, sculpture, photography, jewelry, mixed media and more for purchase, along with music, beverages and a hands-on family art activity. Details are at 4elementsstudio.org.
About 4 Elements Studio
Founded in 2008 by ceramic artist Vartan Poghosian, 4 Elements Studio is a community arts center in downtown Utica, New York, engaging approximately 3,000 community members each year through exhibitions, opening receptions, public events, workshops, classes and studio programs. A central part of the organization’s mission is providing sustained arts programming for individuals with disabilities and other underserved members of the community.
Learn more at 4elementsstudio.org.
