Unchained.Art Contemporary Gallery marks three years in Austin with its annual invitational exhibition, "favorite pieces: the artist’s edit."

The exhibition offers a rare shift in perspective: instead of a curator selecting works, each participating artist was asked to choose the single piece they consider most essential to their practice. The result is a focused and highly personal exhibition that reveals how artists themselves define the moments that shaped their work.

Bringing together artists from Austin and beyond, the show spans painting and sculpture and reflects the gallery’s growing dialogue between local voices and an international roster. Long-standing collaborators appear alongside newly introduced artists, creating a layered exhibition where each work carries its own story of risk, discovery, or transformation.

Each artwork is accompanied by a short statement written by the artist explaining why the piece matters within their practice. These reflections invite visitors to step inside the artists’ decision-making process, offering insight into the moments when an artwork marks a turning point, a breakthrough, or a new direction.