Rose Jaffe | Vessel: To Hold and Be Held

Visit Vessel: To Hold and Be Held, an ongoing exhibition by Washington, DC-based artist Rose Jaffe, on view at the Goethe-Institut Washington through July 23, 2026.

In "Vessel: To Hold and Be Held", Rose Jaffe explores the body and mind as containers—investigating what we carry, what we release, and the invisible expectations placed upon us. These transatlantic works evolved from a 2018 Berlin residency. It was there, immersed for six months in the city’s creative landscape, with visits to the international artistic hubs of Leipzig and Hamburg, that Jaffe began exploring collective consciousness and producing work inspired by overlapping body forms.

The visual language matured as the artist worked between Mexico and Washington, DC. These woodblock and monotype prints draw on organic forms — flowers, roots, leaves — as symbols of cycles of holding and letting go. During a residency in Mexico, Rose incorporated found materials from local markets — corn husks, netting, sponges — weaving the textures of place directly into the work. “Nature, as always, serves as both language and mirror: its forms remind us that to be a vessel is not only to contain, but to be shaped, softened, and transformed by what we carry.” (Rose Jaffe)

The exhibition opens on May 28, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Goethe-Institut Washington.
The works will remain on view through July 23, 2026.

Public Visiting Hours

The exhibition is open to the public during the regular opening hours of the Goethe-Institut Washington. No sign-up is required — feel free to come as you are.

Monday–Thursday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Closed for lunch: 12:30 PM–1:30 PM

Friday: Closed to the public