Josh Faught: Sanctuary
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Through August 3, 2025
Sanctuary [detail], 2017
Hand-woven, hand-dyed cotton, hemp,
and gold lamé, scrapbooking stikers;
the entire 1999 season of the soap opera
Passions (DVD); the sheet music for
Peter Hallock's "A Song of Deliverance";
advertisements for The Monastory
(The Sanctuary); issue six of Pot Pourri,
a sexual questionnaire for the "new age";
an adverstisement for The Date-Record;
giant clothespins, nail polish, and pins.
Henry Art Gallery, Gift of William and
Ruth True, originally commissioned in 2016
for Saint Mark's Cathedral, Seattle, WA, 2020.5
Image courtesy of the artist
Sanctuary, 2017
Installation view:
Saint Mark's Cathedral, Seattle, WA, 2017
Image courtesy of the artist
The Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington presents an exhibition featuring the work of JOSH FAUGHT (born 1979, Missouri, based in San Francisco, CA). Know for his evocative multimedia creations that blend weaving found objects, and ephemera, Josh Faught examines craft traditions, queer culture, and personal history in ways that challenge systems of classification and highlight structures of support, visibility, and identity.
This exhibition highlights Sanctuary (2017), a monumental tapestry commissioned by Western Bridge for Seattle’s Saint Mark’s Cathedral and now part of the Henry’s collection. Drawing from Faught’s personal collections and local Seattle archives, Sanctuary reflects on how queer communities have created spaces of safety and connection, and how these practices intersect with themes of faith, devotion, and desire. The tapestry features a rich array of found and archival materials, weaving together spirituality, history, and pop culture. These references evoke stories of connection and isolation in queer history as a means to address ongoing questions about safety, belonging, and well-being.
Accompanying Sanctuary is a selection of Faught's recent basket works. These intimately scaled pieces complement the sprawling height of Sanctuary and highlight the artist's exploration of everyday objects as vessels for human emotions and memories.
This exhibition celebrates Josh Faught's ability to intertwine personal and collective narratives, offering visitors an opportunity to reflect on themes of identity, community and memories.
JOSH FAUGHT explores the conjunction between various histories: the history of textiles, sociopolitical histories, and the artist’s personal history. Recent solo exhibitions include Look Across the Water into the Darkness, Look for the Fog, Wattis Institute, San Francisco (2022); Both Things are True, Koppe Astner, Glasgow (2019); Casa Loewe, London (2019); Sanctuary, commissioned by Western Bridge, St Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle (2017); Siyinqaba, US Embassy in Swaziland, Mbabane (2015); BE BOLD for what you stand for, BE CAREFUL what you fall for, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art at the Neptune Society Columbarium, San Francisco (2013); Snacks, Supports, and Something to Rally Around, Contemporary Art Museum, St Louis (2013). Josh Faught has exhibited in group exhibitions at NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston; Museum of Arts and Design, New York; Yerba Buena Center for Art, San Francisco; The New Museum, New York; ICA Boston; The Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; Grazer Kunstverein, Graz; Pakville Galleries, Ontario; and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit. He is a professor of textiles and fine arts at the California College of the Arts.
Josh Faught: Sanctuary is organized by Nina Bozicnik, Senior Curator, with Em Chan, Curatorial Assistant.
HENRY ART GALLERY
University of Washington
15th Ave NE & NE 41st St, Seattle, WA 98195
Josh Faught: Sanctuary
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
March 8 - August 3, 2025
