Emily Counts, Astral Bodies, Exhibition

Emily Counts, Astral Bodies
February 5 - March 21, 2026
LOCATION:
PNCA - 511 NW Broadway, Portland, OR 97209
511 Gallery and Ed Cauduro & Dane Nelson Collections Studies Lab, Room 137

PUBLIC RECEPTION: Thursday, February 5th, 5-8pm

GALLERY HOURS: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm

PUBLIC LECTURE: Wednesday, February 18th, 6 - 7pm
The Center for Contemporary Art and Culture at the Pacific Northwest College of Art is proud to present Astral Bodies, a solo exhibition by Tacoma, WA - based artist Emily Counts. Featuring new large scale ceramic and mixed-media sculpture, Astral Bodies depicts five surreal portraits of figures from Counts’ matralineal heritage, capturing the artist’s interest in nonhierarchical forms of power, the creation of life and art as sacred acts, and the illusory nature of time.

Presented in CCAC’s 511 Gallery, maximalist heads capturing the energetic qualities of living and deceased matriarchs in the artist’s family draw connections between the five portraits, across both physical and astral planes. Featuring a self portrait of Counts among the five, the figures stand linked to one another by interwoven fiber components. Through her rumination on strong yet gentle leaders, Emily Counts reimagines systems of influence as fertile ground for communal power, free from violence or domination.

An interest in the natural cycles of life and decay reverberates throughout works in the exhibition. Parallels are drawn between ripeness and fruitfulness, mother and child, and artist and sculpture, underscored by the potential earthly and magical attributes across said relationships. Unbound by linear time, Emily Counts’ Astral Bodies transports through generations and materials alike to reach a dreamlike space where the fierce and tender share power.

We invite the public to join us for the opening reception on Thursday, February 5th from 5 - 8pm in conjunction with the Pearl District’s First Thursday festivities.

Additionally, Emily will be presenting a free public Visiting Artist Lecture on Wednesday, February 18th at 6pm.

Astral Bodies Programming

Please join us for the following events associated with this exhibition:

Thursday, 2/5, 5-8pm Opening Reception at First Thursday

Wednesday, 2/18, 6-7pm

Thursday, 3/5, 5-8pm Exhibition on view at First Thursday

About Emily Counts

Emily Counts was born in Seattle, WA and currently lives and works in Tacoma, WA. She creates ceramic and mixed-media sculptures that engage with craft traditions while exploring femininity, matriarchal identity, memory, and nature. This work is personal but ultimately suggests open-ended narratives, creating space for the viewer’s own stories and meaning. Electricity and illumination are often incorporated into ceramic pieces as she aims to merge nostalgia and historical aesthetics with a futuristic sensibility.

Counts received her BFA from the California College of the Arts and studied at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, Germany. Her work has been exhibited in institutions including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Torrance Art Museum in California, Oregon Contemporary in Portland, and in Washington at the Museum of Museums, the Bellevue Arts Museum, and the Museum of Northwest Art. She has received grants from Artist Trust, The Ford Family Foundation, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council. She was an artist in residence at Raid Projects in Los Angeles, Plane Space in New York, and at the Varda Artists Residency Program in Sausalito, CA. Counts has works in the collection of the Port of Seattle. She is currently represented in Oregon by Nationale and in Washington by studio e gallery.

About CCAC and PNCAThe Center for Contemporary Art & Culture is a platform for cultural production including exhibitions, lectures, performances, and community events. Housed within Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), the Center opens its doors to the greater public to foster conversation and community.

Pacific Northwest College of Art is the leading professional arts and design school in the Northwest; we are the heartbeat of learning and experimentation in Portland’s vibrant cultural ecosystem. We spark curiosity and sharpen skills so students can build creative careers anchored in innovation, justice and civic imagination.

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Host or Publisher Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies at PNCA