The Escalette Permanent Art Collection is thrilled to present Body of the World: The Californian Landscapes of Inna Jane Ray, a solo exhibition highlighting the contemplative vision of California artist Inna Jane Ray. This exhibition will be displayed in the Burra Community Room at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University from March 22nd – August 9th, 2025.

Inna Ray, Aspen Twins, watercolor, color pencil, and gouache on Bristol paper, 2011. Gift of the Estate of Inna Ray. 2023.29.16

Inna Ray (1949-2020) was a prolific painter, writer, and photographer who wove visual and verbal languages to explore her connection to California landscapes, her spirituality, and her own identity. This exhibition, from the collection of The Escalette Collection, captures Ray’s depictions of nature and the resilience of California’s ecosystems and its inhabitants. Titled after a quote from one of her journals, Body of the World carves a place for Ray within the Californian landscape tradition; much of this work was created during a fertile period Ray spent painting in the Eastern Sierra mountains and Northern California.

As an artist intensely attentive to the living body of the world, her work is also a profound response to the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. In the works presented in this exhibition, Ray explores the intricate relationship between self and environment, where nature is not a backdrop but part of our shared existence. As she reflected in one of her journals, “We must acknowledge our ecological situation, grow away from exploitation and denial of the whole person and planet.” Her art is a return to the physical and emotional essence of our experience, focusing on the dynamism of nature and, she argues, “the continuity of life from the first cell.” Each piece in this exhibit is an intimate portrait that reveals the life inherent in our surroundings.

The Escalette Collection owns over 100 paintings by Ray, and joins the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens and the Los Angeles Public Library in preserving her work. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.

Planning Your Visit

The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

167 N. Atchinson Street, Orange CA

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

The Hilbert Museum has free admission with reservation. Book your reservation here.

Parking information can be found here.

For Chapman students, faculty, and staff, transportation is available by request from main campus via any shuttle

We invite you to explore all the works in the Escalette Collection by visiting our eMuseum. 

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is the proud home of the Phyllis and Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art. The Escalette Collection exists to inspire critical thinking, foster interdisciplinary discovery, and strengthen bonds with the community. Beyond its role in curating art in public spaces, the Escalette is a learning laboratory that offers diverse opportunities for student and engagement and research, and involvement with the wider community. The collection is free and open to the public to view.