Refuge & Resistance

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Ciel Skål,

A drawing by Ciel Skål.

A drawing by Ciel Skål.

It makes sense that a distillery and craft cocktail hangout called Imaginary Factory would support the artistic community. This exhibit from four Madison-area artists celebrates both realism and abstraction in a way that foregrounds art’s ability to engage an audience with issues as well as soothe a troubled mind. Ciel Skål, Issis Macias, R-Lo and Bob Hemauer embrace a number of varied techniques, from Skål’s adventures in pigment making to R-Lo’s experiments in charcoal, erasers and rags. A portion of sales will go to support Voces de la Frontera. The reception from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on June 4 will feature a Q&A session with the artists at 6:30 p.m.

media release: Imaginary Factory will host Refuge and Resistance, a group exhibition featuring artworks from four Madison artists, two working primarily in abstraction and two blending abstraction with figurative linework. Through distinct media and visual approaches, the exhibition examines how art can confront the seemingly unstoppable political and social forces defining our current moment and the need to create spaces of rest and safety within it.

The exhibition dates are May 27 through June 13, with a reception on Thursday, June 4 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, and an artists’ Q&A at 6:30 PM. A portion of all art sales from the exhibition will benefit Voces de la Frontera, a Wisconsin immigrant rights organization.

Refuge and Resistance brings together painting and drawing that move between abstraction and figuration, united by a shared urgency. At a time when our neighbors and communities struggle to hold ground, these four artists ask what it means to make space: for grief, for the self, for humanity, for the future.

Ciel Skål grew up with an identity shaped by caveats. Her childhood was marked by a dividing of cultures and struggles between family, displacement, and foster care. In adulthood, she found stability through university in behavioral research and art history which led to a compelling career as an archaeological illustrator before shifting to visual arts and writing full time. Today, her work incorporates research in pigment making to preserve identities within the context of place through an art historical lens. https://skalart.com/

Issis Macias is a self-taught artist and daughter of Mexican immigrants whose work explores the emotional spectrum of human experience through vibrant, intuitive abstraction. Born in Los Angeles and now based in Madison, Wisconsin, she turned to painting during a transformative period of motherhood and career transition amid the pandemic. Working with acrylic and oil pastel, Macias draws upon memory, intuition, and shared emotion to create dynamic, layered compositions. https://www.issismacias.com/

R-Lo, an upstate New York native, is a community organizer and artist based in Madison, WI. Using charcoal, erasers, rags, and brushes, he specializes in creating dark fantastical drawings that  range in scale from small to life-size works. https://www.instagram.com/artist.rlo21/

Bob Hemauer is a self-taught abstract painter whose work investigates the ethical, political, and emotional questions universal to the human experience. Informed by literary, historical, and social inquiry, his paintings use layering and interval to generate sustained visual tension and resist narrative closure. His work allows complexity and ambiguity to emerge through the sustained act of observation, challenging the viewer to exist with uncertainty and obscurity in an era that respects neither. Hemauer lives and works in Madison, Wisconsin and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://www.bobhemauer.com/

About Voces de la Frontera

Voces de la Frontera is a membership-based community organization led by low-wage workers, immigrants, and youth whose mission is to protect and expand civil rights and workers’ rights through leadership development, community organizing, and empowerment. To learn more or donate directly, visit vdlf.org

About Imaginary Factory

Imaginary Factory is a creative bar, distillery, and gathering space located in Madison, Wisconsin. Its founder, Hastings Cameron, is a finalist in the national Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service category of the 2026 James Beard Awards. The venue is located at 1401 Northern Ct, Madison, WI 53703.