Marna Brauner & Hai Chi Jihn, Lillian Luft

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Bill Lemke

Artwork by Marna Brauner and Hai Chi Jihn from the exhibition 'Curio.'

Artwork by Marna Brauner and Hai Chi Jihn from the exhibition 'Curio.'

Paired exhibitions at the Wisconsin Academy’s James Watrous Gallery will consider the curatorial instinct and the clashing human drives of ecological conservation and plunder. “Curio” is a collaboration by Marna Brauner and Hai Chi Jihn, who assembled a “cabinet of curiosities” consisting of found objects in conversation with small, detail-oriented pieces created by the artists. “Deliberate Acts” by Lillian Luft was inspired by the history of native mussel overharvesting in the 19th century, and “poignantly evokes mussels’ bodies and the spaces they inhabited.” A reception takes place from 3-5 p.m. on Feb. 1.

media release: From January 30, 2026 through April 12, 2026, the James Watrous Gallery will feature exhibitions by Milwaukee artists Marna Brauner, Hai Chi Jihn, and Lillian Luft showcasing collaborative and individual object-oriented works exploring themes of cultural memory, body adornment, nostalgia, environmentalism, and vulnerability.

For their joint exhibition Curio, Marna Brauner and Hai Chi Jihn collaborated to create a conceptual “cabinet of curiosities.” Obsessive collectors and highly skilled makers, Brauner and Jihn are interested in juxtaposing small, meticulously crafted pieces that speak to each other and create a unique whole. Their highly decorative, detailed work in textiles, metal, wax, and found objects references clothing history, body adornment, cultural memory, and the seductive nostalgia of old museum collections.

Lillian Luft’s exhibition Deliberate Acts is inspired by river ecology and the environmental consequences of the 19th century pearl button industry. Her richly detailed, research-based work examines how a ravenous desire for mother-of-pearl led to the near collapse of native mussel ecoculture. Having eagerly worked with mother-of-pearl as a metalsmith and jeweler, Luft was drawn to develop a personal relationship with freshwater mussels as a volunteer conservationist. The body of work that has emerged from this experience poignantly evokes mussels’ bodies and the spaces they inhabited, inspiring empathy and giving voice to these unsung and vulnerable creatures.

Join Marna Brauner, Hai Chi Jihn, Lillian Luft, and Wisconsin Academy staff to celebrate the opening of the exhibitions Curio and Deliberate Acts at the James Watrous Gallery. Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm at the James Watrous Gallery. Remarks begin at 3:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments served.

These exhibitions will be on view from January 30 through April 12, 2026.