“Memories Don’t Live Like People Do”

“Memories Don’t Live Like People Do” presents a deeply personal and evocative collection of works by artist Donel Williams (USC Roski MFA ’25). This exhibition explores the intangible yet enduring nature of memory, juxtaposed against the fleeting presence of people in our lives. Through his bold use of abstraction, Williams delves into themes of life, loss, remembrance and honor—offering a visual meditation on how these experiences shape, haunt, and elevate us. The layered textures and forms within each piece suggest the complexity of memory—how it can be at once vivid and elusive, fractured yet whole.

Through his exploration, Williams invites viewers to confront the way memories are preserved, distorted, or lost over time. “Memories Don’t Live Like People Do” is both a reflection on what no longer remains and a celebration of what endures—the fragments of memory that survive long after people are gone, continually reshaping our identities and perspectives.