nictate
Matthew Barton, Sophie McVicar Tate, Chiharu Takahashi Roach march 6–22, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 6, 5–7 pm Artist Talk: Saturday, March 22, 3 pm
Ground Floor Contemporary is thrilled to present Nictate, an exhibition of new works by Matthew Barton, Sophie McVicar Tate, and Chiharu Takahashi Roach.
Matthew Barton is a sculptor and ceramicist whose works consists primarily of found object sculptures and coil-built vessels. Using irregular pattern and mark-making, his work explores concepts of meditation, religion, labor, and forgiveness. Barton was born and raised in north central Alabama and received his BFA in 2015 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his MFA in 2018 from Louisiana State University. Since then, Barton has taught at Tulane University and Southeastern Louisiana University and has been a fellow at the National Gallery of Art and an artist in residence at Haystack Mountain School of Craft. He currently lives in Birmingham, AL
Sophie McVicar Tate is a watercolorist making narrative paintings that utilize the historical language of Naturalist and Scientific Illustration to explore ideas related to the Animal as Symbol, Consciousness, and Internal Landscapes. Her recent exhibitions include solo shows at Room 412 (2023) and Carnegie Center for the Visual Arts (2021). Her work has also been included in group shows at Red 225 (2024), Gadsden Museum of Art (2024), Space One Eleven (2023), Manifest Gallery (2023), and Lowe Mill Arts (2023). She was recently selected for publication in Booooooom’s Tomorrow’s Talent Vol. 4 (2024). McVicar Tate received her degrees in Studio Art (BFA) and Chemistry (BS) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She currently lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama.
Chiharu Takahashi Roach is an artist from Nagoya, Japan, and works in a variety of mediums and formats, such as painting, drawing, mixed media sculpture, and fiber arts. In her work, she explores the spiritual connection between humans and their behaviors and emotions, the material language of her Japanese identity, and the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. Often combining 2D, 3D, and mixed media, Chiharu seeks to express themes of memory, spirituality, loss, and humanity with the interdisciplinary nature of her work. Chiharu moved to Birmingham, AL in 2001 and received her BFA from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Image: Sophie McVicar Tate, Heavenly Ladder, 2025, watercolor and gouache on paper, 65 x 45 inches (detail)
PRICELIST
GALLERY HOURS
Saturdays 1-4 pm during exhibitions and by appointment
Check announcements for details. Opening receptions vary between Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and artist talks are typically on Saturdays. The gallery is closed on the Saturday of an opening date, except during the reception.