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davina semo

@davinasemo

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Bells have long served many functions across cultures and religions. They gather people, mark time and call for reflection.

At Powder Art Foundation, Davina Semo’s (@davinasemo) three bronze bells hang along the trails of Powder Mountain. You can see them from a distance and when you reach one, you can ring it.

Semo placed them where hikers and skiers arrive tired and clear-headed, at the top before the way down. One pull and the sound carries across the mountain. Holes in the bronze let light in and sound out, a nod to how what we feel inside moves out into the world.

The bells mark a small moment: you made it here, and the mountain hears it. by @davinasemo

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THANK YOU to everyone who attended the artist opening of @davinasemo ✨ We’re in awe of her gorgeous work with cast bronze and blown glass in a wide variety of forms, surface treatment, and resonance. As the light shifted with the sun setting over the outdoor sculpture garden, Semo’s evening activation of the bells invited us to experience the powerful presence of such tangible objects.

Come in and experience Tender Shield, on view until June 27, 2026.

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Images 1, 2, 4-8: Photos by Carrie Rosema
Image 3: Video by Erika Ito by @davinasemo

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22 days ago

Jessica Silverman is pleased to announce participation in Contemporary Istanbul’s 2026 edition, running from September 23 to 27 at Tersane Istanbul in Turkey.

Located along the Golden Horn, the fair takes place within the former Ottoman Imperial Shipyard, built in the 15th century and is now a landmark art and culture destination. At Booth B-103, located in the main building, the gallery will present a group exhibition of new and recent works by the artists Hayal Pozanti, Judy Chicago, Andrea Bowers, Beverly Fishman, Atsushi Kaga, Davina Semo, Margo Wolowiec, and Claudia Wieser.

@contemporaryistanbul @jessicasilvermangallery #davinasemo taken in Tersane İstanbul by @davinasemo

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23 days ago

I’m excited to be showing work in Turkey, where my family is from, at Contemporary Istanbul with Jessica Silverman :)

Jessica Silverman is pleased to announce participation in Contemporary Istanbul’s 2026 edition, running from September 23 to 27 at Tersane Istanbul in Turkey.

Located along the Golden Horn, the fair takes place within the former Ottoman Imperial Shipyard, built in the 15th century and is now a landmark art and culture destination. At Booth B-103, located in the main building, the gallery will present a group exhibition of new and recent works by the artists Hayal Pozanti, Judy Chicago, Andrea Bowers, Beverly Fishman, Atsushi Kaga, Davina Semo, Margo Wolowiec, and Claudia Wieser.

Aura, 2025; cast bronze bell, UV protected 3-stage catalyzed urethane automotive finish, patinated solid bronze clapper, hemp shibari rope, polished and plated stainless steel hardware, powder coated stainless steel hardware, powder coated zinc plated steel chain; bell: 10 inches tall x 6 1/2 inches diameter, overall dimensions variable. Photos: Phillip Maisel

@jessicasilvermangallery #davinasemo taken in Tersane İstanbul by @davinasemo

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24 days ago

This Saturday, September 19, join us in celebrating the artist reception of @davinasemo, who will activate her installation of cast bronze and blown glass bells in the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden. For this occasion, we’ll also have available the publication of a commonplace book about bells, featuring a wide range of contributions by Pomona College professors, Benton staff, former student interns, and the artist herself.

Free and open to the public—RSVP at the link in bio. See you there! by @davinasemo

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a month ago

The Benton goes on the road! 🚗💨

Last week, @davinasemo generously opened the doors of her studio to @sagehenalumni members—and new Friends of the Benton—in the Bay Area, who all received a private tour of her workspace and got to know more about her artistic practice. Our ‘Benton on the Road’ event series allows Friends around the country to discover our exhibitions and programs firsthand.

Many thanks to Davina for her warm hospitality and great conversations!

This Saturday, September 19, join us as we celebrate Davina’s works in the artist opening reception, where she will be present. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP at the link in bio. by @davinasemo

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Davina Semo: Tender Shield // Opening reception, Saturday, September 19th 5-7pm. I hope to see you!!

The Benton presents ‘Tender Shield,’ a two-part solo exhibition by San Francisco–based artist Davina Semo, featuring bronze and glass bells, and large-scale bronze wall reliefs. This exhibition debuts a new body of blown glass bells, installed in an outdoor sculpture gallery amongst the bronze bells for which she is best known. Inside, a series of monumental reliefs run the length of the museum’s interior Art Hall. These works embody Semo’s affinity for contrast and harmony: heavy and delicate, introverted and extroverted, luminosity and mystery. Tender Shield invites viewers into an immersive landscape of sight and sound, encouraging both literal and contemplative reflection.

The exhibition is organized by Victoria Sancho Lobis, Sarah Rempel and Herbert S. Rempel 1923 Director of the Benton and associate professor of art history, and curatorial intern Tristen Alizée Leone ’26.

Support for this installation is provided by the Pasadena Art Alliance.

@jessicasilvermangallery @bentonatpomona #davinasemo taken in Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College by @davinasemo

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‘Mother’ is a monumental cast-bronze bell by artist Davina Semo(@davinasemo), installed at Powder Mountain alongside two companion bells, “Listener” and “Reflector.” Semo drills holes into each bell’s surface, letting light spill through and shaping its tone, and finishes them in warm patinated tones of pink, red, and speckled orange that sit naturally against the mountain’s snow and greenery, with a turquoise-blue interior visible through the holes. Visitors are invited to ring the bells, an act Semo describes as a “primal connection to history,” ceremonial and contemplative, pulling people out of scheduled time. by @davinasemo

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LA friends❣️ I would love to see you at my opening at the Benton Museum on September 19 ✨ ✨ register w the link here, but also dm me if you can make it :)

Artist Reception for Davina Semo: Tender Shield
Saturday, September 19, 5–7 pm
Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College

Register to attend

We invite you for an evening with the artist Davina Semo for a celebration of her yearlong, site-specific installation at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College.
5 pm Conversation with Davina Semo
6:30 pm Artist activation of works

Exhibition:
Davina Semo: Tender Shield
August 22, 2026–January 3, 2027

Image: Davina Semo, Wonder, 2025, Cast bronze bell, UV protected 3-stage catalyzed urethane automotive finish, leather-wrapped polished bronze clapper, hemp shibari rope, polished and plated stainless steel hardware, powder-coated stainless steel hardware, powder-coated zinc-plated steel, Bell: 22 1/2 x 11 x 11 inches / 57.1 x 27.9 x 27.9 cm, Overall dimensions variable

#davinasemo taken in Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College by @davinasemo

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‘Davina Semo: Tender Shield’ opens tomorrow, August 22! Swipe through to see @davinasemo and our senior preparator Gary Murphy install her bronze and glass bells in the John and Debbie Starr Family Sculpture Garden 🪜 by @davinasemo

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2 months ago

OPENING AUGUST 22 🌟 ‘Davina Semo: Tender Shield’

The Benton presents ‘Tender Shield,’ a two-part solo exhibition by San Francisco–based artist Davina Semo, featuring bronze and glass bells, and large-scale bronze wall reliefs. This exhibition debuts a new body of blown glass bells, installed in an outdoor sculpture gallery amongst the bronze bells for which she is best known. Inside, a series of monumental reliefs run the length of the museum’s interior Art Hall. These works embody Semo’s affinity for contrast and harmony: heavy and delicate, introverted and extroverted, luminosity and mystery. Tender Shield invites viewers into an immersive landscape of sight and sound, encouraging both literal and contemplative reflection.

Join us for the exhibition opening reception with the artist on Saturday, September 19. More details to come.

The exhibition is organized by Victoria Sancho Lobis, Sarah Rempel and Herbert S. Rempel 1923 Director of the Benton and associate professor of art history, and curatorial intern Tristen Alizée Leone ’26.

Support for this installation is provided by the Pasadena Art Alliance.

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Image: Davina Semo, Magic Mirror, 2024. Polished and patinated cast bronze wall relief, 54 3/4 x 82 1/2 x 1 in. (139.1 x 209.6 x 2.5 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman. Photo: Ed Mumford by @davinasemo

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2 months ago

Davina Semo’s (@davinasemo) large-scale bells are installed across Powder Mountain, each cast with its own patina in warm pinks, reds, and speckled oranges that hold their own against snow in winter and trees in summer.

Every bell is perforated with a different pattern of holes, letting light in and sound out. Some frame views of the landscape. Others are spaced vertically like a flute, so the bell can be played as an instrument.

Sited across the mountain, some bells stand in plain view while others take a hike off the main path to find. Each rings its own note, and together they form a composition that shifts with the wind and the seasons, never sounding the same way twice. by @davinasemo

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