Heidi Peelen Brooks Exhibit
Venus in Polyester
In February our Vault Gallery will feature mixed media by Heidi Peelen Brooks.
Venus in Polyester reimagines the goddess of love in a world of synthetic fabrics, broken washers, and carefully curated vacations. These saturated ballpoint-and-acrylic scenes follow middle-class women from childhood to senior style — lounging, posing, and persevering with grace and humor. At home, Venus does her farm chores in lipstick and house shoes. Polyester becomes both armor and aspiration — shiny, durable, and just a little too perfect.
At the center of each piece is a female figure, ranging from girlhood to old age, whose presence explores the shifting ideals of femininity and leisure. Through playful yet pointed imagery, the series reimagines the bourgeois portrayals of women at home or on holiday, revealing both their beauty and absurdity. Many of the works are further adorned with three-dimensional materials—rhinestones, buttons, and iridescent glitter—blurring the boundary between fine art and craft.
Show Dates + Artist Info
Venus in Polyester will be on display in the Vault Gallery February 6-28, 2026.
There will be an opening reception on Friday, February 6 from 6pm to 8pm, where visitors can meet Heidi and view her work.
Working out of Portsmouth, VA, Heidi currently teaches traditional and graphic arts at several local universities. She specializes in mixed media ranging from academic approaches to figure drawing to video projections and vignettes often combined with performances utilizing the created spaces. Heidi aspires to create art that can exist on and off the walls, some permanently and some more ephemeral or meant to exist at a specific moment in time.