What a Tough! - The Work of Aaron Worley 

STATE Gallery + Studios, in collaboration with The Red Arrow Gallery 

The Forge Nashville - 217 Willow Street, Nashville TN 37210 

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14th, 6pm - 9pm 

Exhibition Run: January 14th - February 6th, 2023

Gallery Hours: M-F 10am to 6pm, or by appointment 

This January, STATE Gallery + Studios at The Forge is proud to present What a Tough! - The Work of Aaron Worley. 

Aaron is a 2022/2023 recipient of the STATE Scholarship Program, and currently represented by The Red Arrow Gallery; this exhibition marks both the first solo exhibition for Aaron at The Forge, as well as the first collaborative show between STATE and Red Arrow. 

The exhibition will open on the evening of Saturday, January 14th with a public reception from 6pm to 9pm, and run through February 6th, 2023. 

What a Tough! explores the emblem of the boxer as an allegory for human struggle and triumph. Aaron relates the battle between fighters in a ring to our daily struggle to survive, and moreover, to overcome obstacles. 

Primarily working in oils, charcoal and enamel, Aaron employs mostly monochromatic palettes, though the work is decidedly exuberant - full of the broad, sweeping energy of a boxer landing a punch. 

Important to this series of gestural figures is their solitude - rarely are we asked to consider more than one subject per piece, suggesting that the battles explored are perhaps more emotional than physical. As is made evident through our gained life experiences, What a Tough! hints that our most significant struggles are with ourselves, and the true path to victory lies inward. 

We hope you will be able to join us for the opening; please feel free to reach out to Artistic Director Alyssa A. Beach with any further inquiry, utilizing the contact information below.

alyssa@theforgenashville.org