Motel is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Jessie Rose Vala, The Tortuous Veil. In her third showing with the gallery, Vala transforms the exhibition space into a ghostly cavern. Anchored by 4 large-scale graphite drawings, this mythological narrative negotiates the connections between the psychological subconscious, archaic tropes, and contemporary metaphors. The title of the exhibition refers to Isis' veil, the thin and mutable barrier between the conscious and unconscious worlds.

Drawing heavily on ancient myths, Vala explores the fears, powers, violence and destruction associated with four archetypes, the Werewolf, the Zombie, the Shape-Shifter and the Vampire. These conflicts serve as critical allegories for the real-world issues of environmental degradation, over-consumption, mob mentality and political instability.


Vala is fascinated by the menacing and violent side of the human imagination and begs the question, “Why are humans so attracted to brutality and destruction?” In intricate yet minimal drawings, she depicts female heroines caught deep in their interior landscapes, facing the embodiment of their inner demons. Using the werewolf, Vala eludes to society's relationship with nature, and the fear and elimination of what is seen as uncontrolled and wild; the vampire suggests insatiable consumption and the depletion of natural resources; mindless complacency is embodied by the zombie and the shape-shifter connotes and political instability and doublespeak.