Uprise Art is pleased to present In other words, an exhibition of new work by Arlina Cai and Gail Tarantino.

Tarantino’s works on paper and linen begin with language as both material and structure. Drawing on the inherent rigidity of grammar, syntax, and systems of legibility, she subjects language to a process of transformation through layering ink with stitched thread. Words are partially concealed, fractured, or rendered unreadable, their original meanings obscured while something more essential is brought into focus. Legibility gives way to a form of communication that becomes more experiential than literal.

Tarantino’s compositions are rhythmic, shaped by the fluid bleed of ink, the measured cadence of stitching, and the tension between matte and metallic surfaces. These elements create a visual tempo that echoes the act of reading itself with pause, repetition, and punctuation. The artist reclaims language not as a stable vehicle for meaning, but as a mutable system. By translating written language into her own visual tongue, she invites viewers to consider how communication can exist beyond the confines of words.

Cai and Tarantino expand the possibilities of communication beyond conventional language. Viewers are invited to move between systems of knowing, encountering communication as a porous and unfolding experience.