Kirkhof Center Wall Gallery, Allendale Campus
October 17, 2025 - March 13, 2026

Open During Building Hours.

"When I was four years old, I came home from preschool and told my mom I wanted to learn how to read. I haven’t stopped since. My long-standing obsession with Greek mythology started shortly after, and stories have become an integral part of my work as an artist. In addition to stories, objects play a central role in my imagery, often becoming a perfect stand-in for humans, our experiences, and identities. They are what we surround ourselves with, what we interact with and use on a daily basis, and are the things that remain long after we are gone.

This body of work blends those two interests, reimagining Greek mythology through the lens of a still life. Each arrangement is full of objects, color, and patterns that reflect moments of the myths they're drawn from.

While we don’t use these myths anymore to explain the change in the seasons, the movement of the sun and moon across the sky, or what causes lightning, they have still found ways to persist. These myths have stretched across millennia, weaving through time to be retold today." - Madeline Devantier

In 2025, artist Madeline Devantier met with students of Associate Professor Melissa Morison’s CLA 395 and CLA 495 in the Department of Classics to discuss her artwork. The students wrote responses as well as larger research papers inspired by her individual works and Greek mythology.  The abstracts for those research papers can be found at this link.

Madeline Devantier’s silkscreen Apollo features objects related to his amatory pursuits. The flowers aren’t merely symbols of Apollo’s renown as a god but also his losses as a lover: the Hyacinths on the left for Hyacinthus, whose love for Apollo eventually led to his death, and the laurel plants on the right for Daphne, who was turned into a tree to evade his affection. In both situations, Apollo took the plants on as symbols, showing the power objects can have in transforming personal tragedy into signs of one’s strength.

Response by McKinley Hixon

In this intricate silk-screen, Devantier uses images of flowers, makeup, and ocean treasures like the conch shell and pearl necklace to evoke ancient stories of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The lipstick and curvy vase evoke Aphrodite’s association with beauty and fertility, while the pearls and conch shell symbolize the birth of the goddess, and the riches (and conflicts) associated with the sea.  Notice also the rose in both the Ares and the Hephaestus pieces; the repeating image of the roses symbolizes the love triangle of the three deities.

Response by Elyse Karaskinski

In Madeline Devantier’s Ares, the silver weapons and the single blood red rose evoke the story of the god of war and remind us of the brutal nature of combat. In ancient Greece, Ares was the god one prayed to for courage and strength upon entering the battlefield. But is that all he was?  Devantier doesn’t just reduce Ares to one simple symbol; rather, she is inviting the viewer to re-evaluate what they think they know. Why is there a blood red rose? Is it a token of a lover?  Compare Ares with Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

Response by Kailey Washburn

In this evocative silkscreen piece Madeline Devantier reimagines the Greek deity Hera, queen of Olympus and goddess of marriage. The wilted calla lilies hint at love’s fragility, while two abandoned rings and wine glasses echo themes of betrayal and abandonment. The recurring peacock motif evokes the goddess’ sacred animal, both subtly and boldly within the piece through the wallpaper and a sole peacock feather. The composition speaks to Hera’s complex mythology: her divine power, the pain of infidelity, and the lingering resentment beneath her regal exterior. 

Response by Aoife McKenzie

Location

Kirkhof Center Wall Gallery
Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401

For directions and parking information visit www.gvsu.edu/maps.

Contact

For special accommodation, please call:
(616) 331-3638

For exhibition details and media inquiries, please email:
Joel Zwart, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections
[email protected]

For learning and engagement opportunities, please email:
Jessica Sundstrom, Learning and Outreach Manager
[email protected]