Bayside Art Gallery Presents Roots. Chosen Exhibit

Not Always Black and White by Bilonda Mireille Rommel

Bayside Art Gallery is pleased to welcome Seattle-based abstract artist Bilonda Mireille Rommel for her first solo exhibit running from July 12 through August 31.

Titled Roots. Chosen, this evocative collection of oil and acrylic paintings delves deeply into the profound intersections of heritage, identity and deliberate belonging. While grounded in the ceremonial motifs, sacred geometries and living symbols of Luba, Bantu and Kongo traditions, Rommel’s work transcends borders. The exhibit examines the structural duality between the biological and historical foundations we inherit (Roots) and the communities, paths and identities we claim for ourselves (Chosen).

A self-taught, Congolese-born artist, Rommel began painting as a form of visual journaling to preserve what words could not hold. Her visual language blends texture, form, pattern and bold color, inviting viewers into a personal yet universally resonant conversation about home and self-determination.

Rommel explains, “There is a language that makes me cry before I can explain why. When I hear Tshiluba, the language of my Luba ancestors, something in me answers before my mind can catch up. Joy and grief arrive together, inseparable. My exhibit is about that reaching, because we are all human, connected by threads stronger than our differences.”

A reception for Rommel will be held on Sunday, July 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. The community is invited to attend, view the vibrant artworks and meet the artist.

The Bayside Art Gallery is located at 310 Hadlock Bay Road, Port Hadlock. For more information about the exhibition, please contact Christopher Forrest at cforrest@baysidehousing.org, call 206-465-2193, or visit baysideartgallery.com.