Slowing Time with Carrington Ware

“Rest, for me, is a luxury. When people think of luxury, they often imagine wealth, grand possessions, or excess, but I see rest as one of the most valuable luxuries—one that’s becoming increasingly unaffordable and unattainable in this life. It’s about actually having the chance to slow down.”
— Carrington Ware


Every year, we collaborate with an artist to share a holiday wish. It’s with so much joy that Carrington Ware is this season’s commissioned artist. Her time-based piece quite literally requires that we slow down to observe.

A tradition inspired by the Museum of Modern Art's Junior Council, which in 1954 initiated a holiday card program to help foster their interest in the arts and support artists, this collaboration with Carrington marks our seventh iteration and our fourth digital project. Previous participating artists include Jared McGriff, Isabela Dos Santos, Mark Fleuridor, Nicole Salcedo, Alex Nuñez, and Harumi Abe.

Carrington’s work is especially poignant as we explore ways to support artists creating time-based works, and ground ourselves in the possibilities offered by Black Rest—an ongoing theme rooting our program alongside national community partners with NYU Center for Black Visual Culture.


Six questions with Carrington Ware,
by Claudia Des Rosiers

Carrington Ware is a Miami-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans illustration, video, sound, textiles, and installation. Moved by play and curiosity, her approach reflects themes of place, identity, and culture. Current explorations in her work focus on Black narratives, nostalgia, and archiving.

During our conversation, “home” was a recurring theme. I asked, “Where is home for you?” With a warm smile, she shared, “Home is Aragon, Georgia. I’m from Rome, Georgia, but really, it’s Aragon—like the mythical place in the Lord of the Rings books.” She described it as a mountainous, deeply rooted community that holds a special place in her heart, despite the complexities of growing up there. “It’s very different,” she added. “Generations of my family have lived there.”

The interview below has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Claudia Des Rosiers: Can you tell us about your creative process and guiding themes in your work? 
Carrington Ware: My creative process begins with curiosity—an interest in a new theme or subject that I want to explore. From there, I dive into research, immersing myself in the topic until I have a fully formed idea to work from. After, my imagination and a sense of play takes over. This phase of play is essential—because that is what it is all about.

Are there specific places or environments that influence you most as an artist, particularly as we explore the concepts of rest, renewal, and replenishment?
The first place that comes to mind is home. When Miami becomes overwhelming, home is my escape. Sometimes the city’s energy can be too much, and retreating to a more rural area like where my family lives provides a sense of peace. At home, there’s land, space, and the freedom to do anything without the pressure of being seen. I can simply relax, cook, and unwind.

Places that bring me back to rest and calm are those slower, unhurried spaces. They give me time to reset and cultivate patience.

What does rest mean for you? 
Rest, for me, is a luxury. When people think of luxury, they often imagine wealth, grand possessions, or excess, but I see rest as one of the most valuable luxuries—one that’s becoming increasingly unaffordable and unattainable in this life. It’s about actually having the chance to slow down.

Rest also comes from having a support system—my close friends, my family, and the sense of home. Home, in particular, is a place of rest for me. It’s not just a physical space, but a source of support, where I can lean on. Rest is truly a luxury.

What can we do to offer artists more ease in their practice?
 
Start by approaching artists with a clear plan, honesty, and integrity. Honest interactions are key...  Too often, artists are placed in positions where they’re treated as if they are in service to others, or as if their work should be done in exchange for exposure.

More importantly, it’s about building community beforehand—taking the time to genuinely connect with artists instead of only reaching out when there’s a proposal or transaction in mind.

In Miami, I feel there’s a need for more of this kind of community-building that isn’t purely transactional. Emotional support, understanding, and care are just as valuable. You can operate with a sense of care and respect for an artist’s work without necessarily being their biggest fan. It’s about showing up for each other in meaningful ways.

What are some of your biggest influences as an artist
Outside of the art world, my biggest influence is my family. They are so important to me—because of how they’ve persevered through challenges, how they have fun and how they’ve been incredibly supportive of everything I do. A lot of the work I create is about them or inspired by them. For example, this holiday card is a reflection of them—it’s something I can do because of their unwavering support. I get to explore themes like rest and create work about being a restful person because they’ve made that possible for me.

Within the art world, my biggest influences are my friends and the artists in my life—my support system. They’re my main celebrities, the ones I look to for inspiration and encouragement. These are the people who influence me the most. But if I were to name big names, I’d say Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, and the collective E.A.T (Experiments in Art and Technology). 

In the end, artists and people that directly surround me influence me the most. 

What would your dream project look like?
My dream project would be to create a film about my home in this reimagined Black sense of this very rural exclusionary place that I had to grow up in. It could be something like the A24 movie All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, which is beautifully Black and rural—but my film would focus on my family and might not follow a strictly linear narrative.

This is important to me because of all the changes happening in my hometown: new people moving in, forests being cleared, fast food chains popping up... I’d want to film and archive my hometown before it’s gone, preserving the essence of what it was. It would be a tribute to the place where I first learned to rest.


MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ware earned her MFA from Florida International University in 2020 and her BFA from Valdosta State University in 2015. She currently lives and works in South Florida Select solo exhibitions include Soft (2023) at Tunnel Projects, Leisure (2021) at Miami Beach Urban Studios, and Parkhaus15 Presents: Carrington Ware (2020) at Parkhaus15 in Orlando, Florida. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions such as Meditations On Waking Up (2024) at Tunnel Annex + Miami Design District, Voices of Experience: Invited Artists’ Works (2024) at The Frank Gallery, Evidence of Contrary Instincts (2024) at The Arc, Banned!: Story Tellers (2024) at The Lowe Museum, 2022 South Florida Consortium (2023) at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, and Y’all Don’t Hear Me: The Black Appalachia (2023) at Stoveworks.


Dejha Carrington