BLOCK XXVI In Relation Connecting Broadly, Thinking Critically

 Levant Foundation Gallery, Fine Arts Museum of Houston 

Curated by Rabea Ballin. 

In Relation invites viewers to practice a different kind of looking, one rooted in curiosity,

dialogue, and an openness to the ways meaning can emerge through relationships. This spirit of

connection extends beyond the artwork itself to the BLOCK XXVI cohort, whose members have

cultivated a wonderfully supportive and collaborative community. Consider this exhibition a

visual treasure hunt. Materials, textures, colors, and architectural references become clues,

inviting you to look beneath the surface and discover the connectivity of individual works,

personal histories, and broader cultural and political contexts.

Across her practice, Rachelle LeBlanc's hand-hooked and woven fiber pieces invite sustained

attention, revealing the extraordinary care, craftsmanship, and thought embedded in every detail.

Deliberate in both her storytelling and material choices, LeBlanc offers a particularly compelling

work, a striking red quilt, that incorporates upcycled vintage men’s suits and polyester derived

from recycled water bottles, transforming reclaimed materials into a richly layered work that

connects intimate narratives to broader social histories. The thoughtful engagement with material

extends to her ceramic sculptures, where raku clay, lead crystal, and underglazes come together

in compelling combinations that further expand the expressive possibilities of her work.