Philadelphia Magic Gardens Curatorial Team Visit Chromatic Solace

Ahead of Carmen's museum show in May 2027

Philadelphia Magic Gardens Curatorial Team Visit Chromatic Solace

We were delighted to welcome the curatorial team from Philadelphia Magic Gardens to London to visit Chromatic Solace, Carmen Mardonez's current solo exhibition presented by Hannah Payne Art at TM Lighting.

 

The visit marks an exciting milestone as preparations begin for Carmen's forthcoming two-part solo exhibition at Philadelphia Magic Gardens Museum, opening in May 2027. The museum, founded by the late internationally celebrated mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, is renowned for its extraordinary immersive environment and commitment to artists whose practices transform material, colour and space.

 

The visit provided an opportunity to experience Chromatic Solace in person and discuss the evolution of Carmen's practice, particularly the ambitious large-scale embroidered installation that will form an important part of the forthcoming exhibition.

The exhibition in Philadelphia (May 2027), follows the artist's residency at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens in 2025, with the subsequent exhibition made possible and supported by a 2025 Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Grant.

 

Chelsey Luster, curator and Exhibtion Manager at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens,  shared how she came to discover Carmen's work: "I discovered Carmen's work when she applied for the Julia Zagar Residency for Women Artists at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (PMG). I manage this international residency in honor of PMG's co-founder, Julia Zagar. I was immediately drawn to Carmen's powerful transformation of domestic textiles, such as pillows and sheets, and her vibrant, freeform style. At PMG, our entire site is covered in folk art, mosaics, and vibrant color, so I was excited to envision our galleries transformed by Carmen's work and to welcome her to Philadelphia as part of the residency.

Working with Carmen has been a dream, and we are thrilled to have received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage to support her two-part exhibition, opening in May 2027." 

 

We are incredibly excited to see this next chapter unfold for Carmen and look forward to sharing more as plans develop over the coming year.

 

With grateful thanks to Chelsey Luster and Ali for making the journey to London and for such inspiring conversations around the future of the project.

 

June 26, 2026