
Cade Salamanca — The Final Push
Cade Salamanca
Mercury 20
475 25th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Friday + Saturday: 12-5pm and by appt
Admission
Free Admission
About
_The Final Push_ marks a pivotal chapter in Cade Salamanca's artistic and personal journey. In 2026, Salamanca embraced a new name—an act of self-definition that became a powerful affirmation of identity and a catalyst for creative transformation. Freed from expectations that once constrained her, her work has entered a period of greater clarity, confidence, and emotional depth. This body of work explores the liberation that emerges when authenticity is fully embraced. The introduction of wire mesh and draped chains began as formal material investigations but evolved into potent metaphors for the protective barriers Salamanca had constructed around herself over time. Fragmented mesh and suspended chains symbolize the dismantling of fear, self-doubt, and inherited expectations, revealing a renewed sense of freedom and possibility. Alongside 12 paintings, Salamanca will debut six double exposure self portraits that mark the beginning of a new practice with Film Photography on a Canon AE-1 Program. Both deeply personal and universally resonant, _The Final Push_ is a celebration of self-acceptance, courage, and transformation—a declaration of identity expressed without apology and an invitation to witness the power of becoming fully seen.