Gisela McDaniel. Táifinakpo'

Galleria Poggiali presents Táifinakpo', the first solo exhibition in Italy by American artist Gisela McDaniel, opening on April 9, 2026, at the gallery's Milan space, concurrently with Subvert, Repair, Reclaim at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on view through August 2026. In parallel, in 2026 the artist will present her work in major international contexts, including the Colby Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

An internationally recognized artist, Gisela McDaniel's practice brings visibility to ancestral narratives while addressing pressing contemporary social issues. Rooted in her Native American heritage—specifically her Choctaw lineage—her work foregrounds intergenerational memory and amplifies voices that have historically been marginalized.

As Sophia Thowinsson writes in the exhibition catalogue: "On the occasion of Táifinakpo', the artist invites us into a universe where identity is not fixed, but rather a living process in constant transformation and healing. The title is not incidental. Táifinakpo' literally translates as "without end," but on a deeper level it suggests "without death." Rather than a linear notion of time, it proposes persistence: that of ancestral memory and the active presence of those who came before us."

Through the integration of audio interviews, assemblage, and oil painting, McDaniel intentionally incorporates the voices of her subjects, subverting traditional power dynamics between artist and sitter. Her subjects are primarily women and non-binary individuals who identify as Micronesian, Indigenous to Turtle Island, Asian, Latinx, and/or multiracial. In doing so, her work challenges and responds to the systemic silencing imposed upon these communities across art, politics, and popular culture.

The portraits presented in the exhibition become presences in their own right: semi-precious stones embedded within the painted surfaces and the exhibition space reinforce themes of protection, resilience, and spiritual grounding.

Conceived as a single immersive installation created specifically for the spaces of Galleria Poggiali, Táifinakpo' brings together a total of thirteen works: three large-scale paintings and ten works on paper that expand and deepen the narrative. Taken together, the works invite viewers to enter the artist's universe, moving between immersion and reflection.