Dallas – Opening this week at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center (OC3) a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, is the solo exhibition “As I Lay It All To Rest” featuring the artwork of Austin, TX based artist Chantal Lesley. An artist talk hosted by Lesley will be taking place at 5:30 p.m. at the OC3 with the opening reception taking place right after from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, August 2, 2025. The event is free and open to the public. 

As a multicultural, first-generation American born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border, Lesley’s work is deeply informed by her experience of being stretched between four cultures. The daughter of Peruvian and German immigrants, she explores themes of identity, belonging, and contemporary social and political issues through her art.   

In her solo exhibition “As I Lay It All to Rest”, Lesley excavates memories, regrets, unspoken words, and lingering ghosts to explore the longing and acceptance tethered to grief. Emerging from long restless nights, her photographic imagery is a narrative of how grief lingers, is carried within the body and continuously evolves. For Lesley, processing this body of work is an act of release and learning to coexist rather than overcome it.  Sharing the work with the viewer, Lesley asks how one might consider their own attachments and if any may be laid to rest.    

Lesley earned her BFA in Fine Art Photography from Texas State University in 2021. Her work has been exhibited across Texas and the U.S. Notable exhibitions include the Houston Center for Photography (Houston, TX), Craighead Green Gallery (Dallas, TX), Touchstone Gallery (Washington, D.C.), and Humble Arts Foundation (New York, NY). She has been selected for prestigious residencies, including LATITUDE (Chicago, IL), The Line in partnership with Big Medium (Austin, TX), Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT), and Château d'Orquevaux (Orquevaux, France). Lesley has also held solo exhibitions at the Dougherty Arts Center (Austin, TX), LHUCA (Lubbock, TX), shedshows (Austin, TX), and Bradbury Art Museum (Jonesboro, AR). In 2025 she was Artist in Residence at KUNSTRAUM in Brooklyn, NY, followed by a residency at kala in Berkeley, CA.   

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center is located at 223 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208 next to the historic Texas Theater. Operating hours are Tuesday-Saturday from Noon to 6 p.m. For additional information please visit: occc.dallasculture.org