Santa Fe | Anne Kaferle: Passage

(SANTA FE) Nüart Gallery is pleased to present Passage, a solo exhibition featuring new work by Anne Kaferle, on view from May 8 through May 31, 2026, with an opening reception on Friday, May 8, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Nüart Gallery, Santa Fe.

Anne Kaferle presents Passage, a new body of work that expands her approach to painting in the Southwest. Anne Kaferle works en plein air on the Colorado Plateau, painting directly within the conditions of the desert. Wind, dust, heat, and shifting weather actively contribute to each surface, becoming integral to the final composition. Rather than depicting the environment from a distance, her process incorporates it—allowing natural elements to shape the work in real time. The result is a group of paintings that carry a palpable sense of place and immediacy.

Her palette draws from the subtleties of the landscape—tones of sediment, mineral, and shadow—creating surfaces that feel layered, atmospheric, and quietly complex. These works move beyond traditional regional interpretations, offering a more nuanced and immersive encounter with the desert. What initially reads as abstraction gradually resolves into an experience of conditions, perception, and scale.

Based in Helper, Utah, Anne Kaferle brings a background in geology and scientific illustration to her practice, informing a deep awareness of the land and its history. This perspective shapes each composition, where the horizon becomes a point of connection to deep time—echoing the presence of an ancient inland sea and the ongoing evolution of the terrain. The result is a body of work that translates direct experience into a refined and resonant visual language.

Anne Kaferle’s multi-decade practice was recently featured in an article and video in collaboration with the State of Utah, titled “Gravity and Water: Mark Making in a Winter’s Desert with Anne Kaferle,” highlighting her process working directly within the desert landscape.