Axis Gallery is pleased to present After Nature, a solo exhibition by Fiona K. Lau.
June 5, 2026 through June 28, 2026
Second Saturday Reception: June 13, 5–8 PM
In After Nature, Fiona K. Lau examines our increasingly mediated relationship with the natural world through a series of paintings and installations that navigate the space between digital fascination and ecological crisis. The exhibition takes its title from Jedediah Purdy's book, which explores how nature as a notion of pure, untouched wilderness no longer exists—if it ever did—and asks how genuine kinship can be forged in an era when human influence has transformed every ecosystem and the internet shapes our environmental consciousness.
The works in this exhibition embody this search for connection through their very making. They function as palimpsests, layering diverse sources—personal records, Chinese literati painting, Japanese manga and pop culture, internet-sourced photographs, and AI-generated images and texts—into compositions where paint and line, figure and ground, shift and slip against one another. Strange reactions emerge between mark-making, layered imagery, fluid space and surfaces, the invisible and the visible, and emergence and disappearance in dialogue. They mirror our contemporary relationship with nature—mediated, fragmented, yet resonant.
After Nature offers neither solutions nor nostalgia but rather a contemplative space to reconsider how we see, know, and care for the more-than-human world in an age of digital saturation and ecological transformation.
Fiona K. Lau is a Sacramento-based painter whose work explores the relationships of land, environment, and belonging. Born in British Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she worked extensively in international aid across sub-Saharan Africa. Her practice is deeply influenced by experiences of shifting cultures and a background in scientific training, creating layered works that bridge different realms of experience to reveal tensions and hidden constructs.
Lau's work has been exhibited in Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, and internationally in Japan and Canada and is featured in public collections in Kent, WA, and Chamblee, GA. She has completed artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists' Residency, and Verge Center for the Arts in the US; OCAD University in Toronto, Canada; and AiR Yamanashi in Kofu, Japan. Lau is the recipient of the 2025 Creative Growth Fellowship awarded by the City of Sacramento's Office of Arts and Culture and is a member of Axis Gallery in Sacramento.
Join us at Axis Gallery, located at 625 S Street in Sacramento’s historic R Street Corridor, within the Verge Center for the Arts building. The gallery has exhibited innovative contemporary art for over 35 years and continues to serve as a vital space for artists to explore, connect, and share work outside the commercial sphere.
Gallery hours: Friday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
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1882 FOUNDATION, MUZI LI ROWE, FIONA K. LAU – CHINESE KNOT-MAKING WORKSHOP
- Workshop 1: Friday, June 12, 2026 | 5:00–8:00 PM
- Workshop 2: Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 5:00–8:00 PM
Join us for a Chinese knot-making workshop for cultural celebration and historical reflection.
Chinese knotting (中国结) is an ancient form of folk art that is typically made with fabric cords and is used as festive decoration. Traditionally made from cotton and silk cords, various cord materials can be used to make these intricate designs, including nylon, hemp, waxed cotton, leather, and more. In conjunction with Fiona K. Lau’s After Nature exhibit, we are invited to re-examine our relationship with surrounding physical goods through repurposing their use. In a time where more increasingly feels less, we are reminded that we already have the resources we want around us. Whether it be old cables or cut-up yoga mats, this workshop aims to bring a different sense of life to discarded, forgotten, or menial objects.
These three-hour workshops will include a brief history of Chinese knotting, live demonstrations on knot designs, and the opportunity for attendees to make their own décor. The four designs illustrated will be Double Connection Knot, Cloverleaf Knot, Button Knot and Four-Squared Pan Chang (Endless) Knot, important basic knots that are the building blocks of many designs. Each
knot is made unique with each maker’s design, as just knowing a couple single and supplementary knots can result in unlimited possibilities of combinations. Written instruments and book recommendations will be provided for further interest and creation.
Tools and materials will be provided, including nylon cords for construction. Attendees are heavily encouraged to source materials made available to them, as these knots can be made from a vast variety of materials. Bring any type of long string material (25” or more) with a minimum diameter of 1⁄8” (paracord, guitar strap, ropes, belts, wired headphones, etc.) to the workshop to experiment!
Admission is free and RSVP is required. Light refreshments and drinks will be available.
Tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chinese-knot-making-workshop-tickets-1989965719034
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Muzi Li Rowe is an interdisciplinary artist working across photography, sculpture, installation, and drawing. Her practice investigates the relationship between technology, consumerism and cultural heritage through the use of electronic waste and obsolete technologies. Since 2022, Li Rowe has incorporated Chinese knotting into her artistic practice as a means of reconnecting with her cultural roots. Using defunct cables such as ethernet cords, charging cables, and wired headphones, she creates contemporary sculptural works implementing techniques from this traditional folk art. Through this labor-intensive process, she explores the physical and temporal experience of navigating between cultures while reflecting on life in a world shaped by advancing technology, excessive consumption, and waste.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Fiona K. Lau is a Sacramento-based painter whose work explores the relationships of land, environment, and belonging. Born in British Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she worked extensively in environmental research and international public health. Her practice is deeply influenced by experiences of shifting cultures and a background in scientific training, creating layered works that bridge different realms of experience to reveal tensions and hidden constructs. She is a member of Axis Gallery and the recipient of the 2025 Creative Growth Fellowship awarded by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture.
For more information about After Nature, visit https://www.fionaklau.com/newsevents.html