“Recent wildfires, always a constant threat in California, have become catastrophic and apocalyptic in scale. Fire and its charred aftermath figure prominently in Filice’s work through her smoky palette of rich browns and variegated grays, along with the blackened bark and scorched boughs that she attaches to her sculpted paper and canvas. With the pulsating piece entitled “Burn Scar (No. 2.) 2021-5”, Filice toggles between chaos and control, chance and intention, as she incorporates found materials into her work. The image she creates here equivocates – appearing as if one is looking down on the ground at the rich loam under our feet or looking up through whippet thin limbs to the sky. This spatial paradox mirrors our apprehensive state of mind where constant uncertainty contributes to a sense of foreboding and dread.”