Artist: Samantha Combs

The shower operates within my work as both a literal and imagined site of refuge, where rituals

of cleansing become moments of introspection. Working with handmade soap, I consider how

material can hold memory through its gradual softening, erosion, and transformation. Rather

than presenting purification as resolution, the work lingers in the aftermath, where emotional

and cognitive residue accumulates within unseen spaces.

Using soap alongside repurposed pages from self help literature, I construct layered relief

surfaces that move between abstract painting and sculptural object. The physical qualities of the

material carry conceptual weight: softened edges, embedded text, and shifting translucency

suggest the instability of self perception and the tension between vulnerability and the pressure

to remain composed. Fragments of language emerge and recede, echoing internal dialogue

while resisting fixed meaning.

Each work functions like an exposed cross section, revealing porous landscapes where soap

and printed matter intersect over time. These layered forms reflect the psychological terrain

shaped by personal narrative, emotional labor, and systems of self improvement. By

foregrounding material presence and bodily association, the work invites a slower, more intimate

encounter, asking viewers to consider how unseen experiences settle beneath the surface of

everyday life.

The Hug