[Discussion] Doing first solo show next fall (2027) and am curious how you figure out your solo show themes.

I need to come up with a theme.

I'm a mixed media artist, so even though mainly work in collage and acrylic paint, I also have a background in photography, seamstress, and working with other materials. So I think I would be better having my theme be a topic, versus a specific size or material.

I make a few different kinds of art, that all mostly deals with absurdity in some sense.

- Some of it is protest art (societal absurdities) in the mostly 1-4ft size range (I do make some smaller ones too, but I like making big art).

- Some has a feminist tone (gender&societal absurdity)

- Some is silly absurd - like art made from puns or silly sayings I make literal pictures of. Ex: "herding cats", "banana for scale"

I know I want to go the larger-size social commentary route as the main part, But I'm having trouble narrowing down a theme. And I do like the feminist idea but half of my ideas I feel are too banal, though the other half I think are quite creative. I feel like half of my good art is the feminist row and the other half of my good art is the social commentary route but can't really figure out how to bring those two together. Or if I even should.

I am curious of people who have done solo shows - what kinds of processes do you use to find the theme of your art show?

Theme first? Show title first? Art first? Panic attack and then just figure it out as you go? 😆