This summer, international artist Lois Samuels launches her newest series at Onna House, East Hampton, as part of its Play & Wander Through Whimsy show running until September 7, 2026. Phases of Being explores the identities we carry as we move through life’s journey. The series continues Samuels’ visual meditation on the exterior and interior expressions of human experience, as each abstracted face holds a story of its own.
Expressed as groupings of hand-built ceramic masks, Phases of Being reminds us that the faces and expressions we present to the world are in continual motion. Their subtle asymmetries, marks, and irregularities reveal not only the beauty found in imperfection, but also that beneath every shifting expression lies an enduring, authentic self within — a quiet witness.
“This is my first time working with varied clay bodies within a single series,” explains Samuels. “I was drawn to the stories held within the material itself — my journey and that of my foreparents, the landscapes that surround us, and the lives of those we encounter along the way. I love bringing the masks together, allowing conversations and quiet harmonies to emerge between them. We all share common stories, wear different expressions, and navigate our own unique paths while remaining deeply connected through our shared existence.”
Samuels will also exhibit pieces from Portal, her series inspired by the life-giving mysteries, magic, beauty, and complexity of woman and Mother Earth. Each sculptural form becomes a passage between the inner and outer self, the seen and unseen, the physical and the spiritual. Organic textures and flowing lines echo the rhythms of nature, honoring the cycles of growth, resilience, and transformation that connect the feminine spirit to the living world.
This exhibition follows Samuels’ solo show in Paris and artist-in-residence event with Simon Ungless in Sausalito. She is currently part of a group show at CHURCH, Los Angeles, alongside Katrien Van Der Schueren and in the collection at Twentieth Gallery LA.
“Onna House has a beautiful mission, and it’s expressed in such a uniquely historic space,” says Samuels. “I’m honored that my work is part of the ongoing dialogue and legacy-building of women’s art and design at Onna House.”
Play & Wander Through Whimsy runs July 18-September 7, 2026, at Onna House, East Hampton, NY. Visits are by appointment only, Wednesday through Sunday.
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