I’m Uncomfortable
an exhibition by Artist in Residence Khaila Batts
Untitled 1, 52” x 40”, oil on canvas
AlterWork Studios is pleased to present an exhibition by Artist in Residence Khaila Batts, “I’m Uncomfortable”.
Artist Reception: Thursday, April 16, 2026 | 6PM
This exhibition is on view everyday from 12PM-9PM from 4/11/26 until 4/18/26.
I’m Uncomfortable is an exploration of contemporary existence shaped by the psychological and emotional weight of living in a world saturated with misinformation, conflict, and contradiction.
The exhibition emerges from my lived experience during a time marked by political tension, the lasting impact of the Trump era, and the constant visibility of global violence and war. These realities create a state of overstimulation; where images, narratives, and emotions accumulate faster than they can be processed. This excess becomes both the subject and the material of the work.
Through saturated color, layered compositions, and abstracted, alien-like human forms, the paintings visualize a body navigating discomfort. The figures resist familiarity; they are fragmented, and distorted mirroring a psychological state that feels both hyper-visible and disoriented. Comfort becomes elusive, something that feels unnatural, even suspicious, within the current climate.
The title, I’m Uncomfortable, is both a declaration and a condition. It speaks to an internal state shaped by external pressures: the tension of existing within overlapping identities. The work lives within this discomfort, remaining deeply connected to it, using color, form, and abstraction to map the experience of existing inside.
AlterWork Studios is located on the Ground Floor of 40-20 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101. We are located on the west side of 22nd street between 40th and 41st avenues. When arriving, use the black touch screen to the left of the door to ring for AlterWork Studios in the Directory. Once inside, the studio is located down the stairs on the left.
Khaila Batts is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice weaves painting, digital collage, and printmaking into layered explorations of identity, memory, and technology. Drawing from archival imagery and lived experiences, her work situates the Black body in surreal, fragmented spaces that both challenge and reframe narratives of belonging. Batts has exhibited widely in New York and beyond, and her residencies include MASS MoCA, Wassaic Project, and the Playa Residency in 2025.