Floriography: The Language of Flowers
Featuring Lauren Jaben, Ysabel LeMay, & Amanda Wood
On View: May 9th - June 6th, 2026

Davis Gallery is pleased to present Floriography: The Language of Flowers, a three-woman exhibition featuring the distinct work of Lauren Jaben, Ysabel LeMay, and Amanda Wood. Floriography, the cryptological communication through flowers, was popularized in the Victorian era as a way for a reserved society to express complex, often forbidden, sentiments. This rise led to the widespread use of floral dictionaries, which helped people send and decode secret messages, bypassing strict social etiquette. Echoing these coded bouquets, the exhibition explores how each artist uses botanical themes and forms to convey deeply personal and universal messages.

Though working in different mediums—collaged found materials, digitally composited hyper-collage, and ceramic sculpture—Jaben, LeMay, and Wood are unified by their exploration of the natural world and its ability to communicate profound ideas. Each artist utilizes botanical imagery and form as a potent means of expression, moving beyond mere representation to convey themes ranging from the exploration of impermanence to the majesty of nature's rhythm and the celebration of inner strength. Collectively, Floriography: The Language of Flowers offers a powerful chorus of voices, proving that, much like the Victorian coded language, the art of flowers can speak volumes.

Spotlight Gallery: Lisa Beaman
On View: May 9th - June 6th, 2026

Davis Gallery is pleased to announce a Spotlight Gallery feature of Lisa Beaman’s captivating collages, on view from May 9th through June 6th, 2026. After establishing herself as a leader in the contemporary art quilt movement for twenty years, Lisa Beaman transitioned from fabric to new mediums in 1998, including oils on canvas and the natural progression to collage. Her decades of experience is now evident in her paper construction through a bold use of color, geometric shapes, and a layered approach.

Lisa Beaman’s work is built from what has been left behind—old letters, discarded papers, and fragments of other lives. She cuts, rearranges, and reframes these materials, creating new images that speak to both the past and the present. Animals appear frequently, serving as symbolic, instinctive, and slightly out-of-place storytellers. The form of the circle often recurs as a visual anchor and a quiet meditation on continuity, wholeness, and time.

Sunroom: Umbreen Ahmad
On View: May 9th - June 6th, 2026

Davis Gallery proudly announces the representation of Umbreen Ahmad and presents an exclusive Sunroom display of her compelling abstract art, on view from May 9th to June 6th, 2026. Umbreen is a self-taught Muslim-American artist whose powerful works beautifully weave together memory, faith, and a deep reverence for the natural world. Born in Pakistan and raised between Houston and Austin, her art is profoundly informed by this unique cultural journey, exploring universal themes of resilience, belonging, and adaptation. 

This special installation offers a glimpse into her intuitive, daily practice—a commitment to reflection, self-discovery, and gratitude. Umbreen's vibrant oil and mixed-media paintings are layered, meditative compositions where chaos and quiet order coexist harmoniously. Drawing inspiration from nature, her greatest source, she allows color, movement, and texture to guide each piece, creating spaces for emotional expression without rigid structure. Through abstraction, she offers viewers a moment to pause, reflect, and find their own meaning within the complexity, ultimately honoring our shared human experience across cultures and time.