Central Connecticut’s Art Exhibit will be showcasing artist Chase Westfall and his recent interdisciplinary work on the subject of mourning, entitled “Rachel.” Currently, as the curator of student exhibitions and programs at The Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University, Westfall’s work has landed him at CCSU in the hopes to further present his creations that investigate the cultural meaning and societal function of violence.

Opening on Thursday, March 21. at Central’s Art Gallery in Maloney Hall, students, faculty and visitors will be able to view Westfall’s work with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m., following a discussion with the artist at 5 p.m. The exhibition will take a wide-range view on the subject of mourning by investigating numerous expressions of trauma and loss through fictional and factual narratives.

Named after the archetype of the mourning mother (the biblical figure of Rachel), Westfall’s exhibit is hoped to create an atmosphere for considering and understanding loss without directly experiencing it. “Rachel” will include recent sculptures, paintings, prints, photographic and performance work, curated by CCSU’s very own Assistant Professor of Art, Layet Johnson.

Living in Richmond, Virginia, Westfall’s recent exhibitions include “Control” at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and “Resist Evil” at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. Westfall is also a recent recipient of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art.

Westfall’s exhibit “Rachel” will continue up until April 18. Regular gallery hours are 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. CCSU’s Art Gallery is located at 1615 Stanley St., Maloney Hall, New Britain, CT, with admission free to the public.