Artists Joshua and Heather Whidden have been married for two and a half years, but the exhibit “Bilateral: Memory & Experience,” which opened earlier this month, is the first time the two have displayed their art together.

The two are second-year graduate students pursuing master of fine arts degrees, and visitors have until Feb. 23 to view their exhibition in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery in Woods Hall. “Bilateral” shows how memories and experiences can be physically 
represented through various mediums.

“There was no intention of collaboration on the show,” Joshua Whidden said. “We realized that we were basically investing in a similar concept that explored various ways of understanding memory and experience. Bilateral, being two sides making a whole, seemed like an appropriate name for the show.”

Heather Whidden worked with materials such as unfired clay and rusted nails to sculpt landscapes of the past, present and the space 
between memories.

“We are able to respond to it like a child’s desire to splash in a puddle, which brings up our own individual past experiences,” she said.

Joshua Whidden’s concentration is painting. His work in the gallery represents the complexity of experience and memory that evoke feelings of being overwhelmed by life itself, he said.

“I find paint appealing because of its versatility, and I try to constantly investigate new ways of employing it as a medium,” he said.

The Whiddens started crafting artwork for “Bilateral” in August 2014. Although they work in separate studios and have their own individual art habits and rituals, Heather Whidden said she and her husband share long 
conversations about their art.

“These discussions often go beyond art and delve into metaphysical and introspective considerations,” she said.