Art has been a playground for the exploration of the spiritual and emotional components of being a woman for artist Wendy Rolfe.

“Painted Prayers,” the solo show featuring Rolfe, is on display in the Memorial Union until Jan. 5. Rolfe has displayed her art all over the world. She has been an artist for about 20 years and says her work has changed dramatically over the past two decades.

“I reflect on whatever it is that I’m going through. Some of the [earlier] pieces were pieces from a reaction of what happened on [Sept. 11], and trying to figure things,” Rolfe says. “Now I’m sort of more into domestic, everyday, ordinary things.”

Many of Rolfe’s pieces reflect the exploration of the spiritual side of life using women and their emotions as the centerpiece of the work.

“As you get older, you realize how quickly life passes,” Rolfe says. “That’s when I slow down the most — when I lay my head down on the pillow. [I’m] one day closer . It’s really out of our control.”

“Angels,” a shadowbox assemblage, is shaped like a tablet with an arched top. Within the rectangular shadow portion of the box are pictures of angels at varying depths, and a candle outside the box at the bottom. There are green beads strung across bottom of the work.

To the side is a quote from Psalms: “His angels God has given command about you … Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Rolfe says the piece is about the times her and her daughters pray, and the verse reflects the content of their prayers.

“There are times when in prayer, you just turn to the angels more than other sources. For me, sometimes it’s Mary, sometimes it’s Christ — it’s a little bit different every time,” Rolfe says. “When my girls were younger, they used to talk about the angels a lot.”

Much of Rolfe’s work contains more detail than the audience will usually see at first glance.

“There’s lots of little subtle things you can pick up as you look at [Rolfe’s work] more and more — especially with the shadowboxes,” says Letitia Kenemer, program assistant for the Memorial Union.

Rolfe often uses tin and copper in her work to reflect Hispanic tinwork from 1840-1940, a style the artist says does not blend in with contemporary art.

“Sometimes it takes people a while. People have to look at [the work] a long time … to get comfortable,” Rolfe says. “They’re a little bit different.”

Rolfe says she wants every person to decide for themselves what each piece means.

“A lot of work is unconsciously done,” Rolfe says. “I always end up learning so much if I can be quiet more and listen to people.”

Rolfe says she enjoys getting all kinds of feedback from people who see her work.

“I get a lot of different reactions,” Rolfe says. “That’s why I like to be a risk-taker.”

Rolfe, who is married and has two daughters, says much of her most current artwork is reflecting her own spiritual and domestic life, and that it is a continually changing process.

“I’m finding myself back into the normalness of a family life, and not really understanding what it is that I’m doing,” Rolfe says. “My work is going back to the domestic; it always ties into the spiritual. The spiritual encompasses everything.”

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What: “Painted Prayers”

Where: Memorial Union Gallery

When: On display until Jan. 5