Press Release

Mrs. is pleased to announce our participation in NADA Miami, presenting works by Sachiko Akiyama, Elizabeth Atterbury, Nevena Prijić, and Lily Ramírez. Working across a variety of media, each artist uniquely draws from their personal familial histories and individual heritage to create dynamic and spirited works of art.

Sachiko Akiyama’s sculptures are tied to the concept of presence and essence. As a woodcarver, Akiyama transforms natural materials into objects that reflect intangible qualities. Rather than aiming for literal representation, Akiyama’s work evokes what lies beneath the surface—an inner portrait of the soul. Drawing from mythology, art history, science, and literature, Akiyama’s sculptures tell stories of migration and transformation, reflecting on the ways in which humans, like the environment, undergo cycles of change.

Elizabeth Atterbury's practice is immersed in contemplation, meditation, and evolution. She engages in repetitive gestures, allowing ideas to grow organically, seen specifically in her mortar works. Constructed from cut plywood and individually raked with tile mortar, she reconstructs and puzzles the pieces together, rejoining the glyphs as one complete narrative. Her practice explores legibility, opacity, improvisation, and object-making as a means to reflect on her Chinese American heritage.

Nevena Prijić draws inspiration from Balkan-area Neolithic history and the connection between biological life and machines. Her approach is deeply informed by her experiences growing up with a father in science, sparking her interest in the interconnectedness of neural networks and organic systems. Drawing inspiration from the Vinča culture and its figurines, Prijić blends abstraction with references to ancient forms, creating layered, organic compositions that evoke cellular structures. Using fluid paint, Prijić’s process produces translucent, textured effects that suggest biological growth and technological innovation.

Family and personal experience play a pivotal role in Lily Ramírez’s artistic process. Her landscapes become meditations on memory, connection, and the ways in which different aspects of one's life intertwine. Just as the layers of paint build up on the paper, Ramírez’s work reflects how her emotional and physical landscapes are shaped by familial bonds and personal history. Each piece serves as a reflection of both geographical and internal landscapes, inviting viewers into a deeply personal and emotionally resonant space.

Collectively, Akiyama, Atterbury, Prijić, and Ramírez’s works reflect their deeply personal narratives in abstracted ways. Without the use of figuration and narration, each artist successfully draws connections between the natural world, technology, and emotional experience. Though their processes and subjects differ, these four artists create works that engage the viewer, offering a unified vision of interconnectedness.

For press inquiries or additional information, please contact hello@mrsgallery.com.

Sachiko Akiyama (b. 1973, Rochester, NY) received her MFA from Boston University and continued her studies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Recent solo and two-person exhibitions include Brattleboro Museum, Brattleboro, VT; FJORD Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; and Tracey Morgan Gallery, Asheville, NC. Her work has been included in recent group exhibitions at Mrs., Maspeth, NY; The University of New Hampshire Gallery of Art, Durham, NH; Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, ME; and in a collaboration between Dunes Gallery, Portland, ME and Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Akiyama is the subject of a solo exhibition at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art opening in 2026. Among numerous honors, Akiyama was awarded a Joan Mitchell Fellowship, an Artist Resource Trust Grant, and residencies at Millay Arts and Ucross.

Elizabeth Atterbury (b. 1982, West Palm Beach, FL) lives and works in Portland, Maine. She received her BA from Hampshire College and her MFA from MassArt. Recent solo and group shows include Mrs., Maspeth, NY; Kate Werble Gallery, New York, NY; The Portland Museum of Art and The ICA at Maine College of Art, Portland, ME; The Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville ME; DOCUMENT and Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL; Et al., San Francisco, CA; and TSA, Brooklyn NY; among others. Recent institutional group exhibitions include the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum at Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL; Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, ME; the deCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA, as well as solo exhibitions at Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA in 2024 and Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, ME in 2025. Atterbury’s work resides in the permanent collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME and Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME, CELINE among others.  Atterbury is represented by Mrs., Maspeth, NY and DOCUMENT, Chicago, IL.

Nevena Prijić (b. 1985, Belgrade, Serbia) earned her BFA and MFA in Painting from The University of Novi Sad, Academy of Fine Arts, Serbia. Prijić immigrated to the United States in 2017. Her work has recently been exhibited at Hesse Flatow, New York, NY; Mrs., Maspeth, NY; Bozomag and M+B, Los Angeles, CA; OCHI Gallery, Los Angeles, CA and Ketchum, ID; Public Gallery, London, UK; Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA; and The Hole, New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA. She has been represented by Mrs. since 2025. Prijić lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Lily Ramírez (b. 1991, Los Angeles, CA) is a Mexican-American painter known for her distinctive “mark-making” style, transforming abstract lines and vivid color into dynamic aerial maps of landscapes and environments. Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Ramírez developed a keen ability to recognize beauty in often-overlooked spaces, a perspective that informs her artistic practice. Her work serves as a conduit for both aesthetic and emotional honesty. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Simchowitz, Various Small Fires, Charlie James, and Phillips, Los Angeles, CA; Mrs., Maspeth, NY; and RAM, Bakersfield, CA. Ramírez continues to live and work in Los Angeles.