Last month, we gathered in the heart of San Francisco for an unforgettable afternoon at the mom-owned Chandran Gallery, where we hosted a special lunch and conversation with visiting artist Shara Mays. In town from her new home in Cartagena, Mays welcomed our community into the immersive world of her exhibition, TORN UP, as guests dined on a beautiful spread of teas by Leaves and Flowers, colorful jams and wine (featuring Shara’s artwork), and pastries from Tartine. Seated beneath her suspended textile sculpture and surrounded by richly layered paintings depicting roots, the experience felt intimate and deeply meaningful—art, memory, and conversation woven together in one shared space.

Over lunch, we sat down with Mays for a live conversation that moved fluidly between life and work: raising two now-adult daughters, inspiration found in her new studio in Colombia, and the emotional depth embedded in her practice. She spoke about the personal roots of TORN UP, from honoring her grandfather’s labor as a house painter in the American South to the powerful act of naming—titling her works after names found on slave manifests as gestures of remembrance and reclamation.

It was an afternoon grounded in reflection, storytelling, and connection, with Mays’ work quite literally hanging above us as a reminder of the histories, landscapes, and legacies that shape her art.

Check out the gallery below to re-live our special event with Shara Mays at Chandran Gallery.