VALISE, located in Vashon’s town center, is one of Vashon’s smallest galleries, but somehow, the current exhibition on view swells the space by presenting works that conjure both aching mysteries and unstoppable forces.

The two-person show of paintings by islander Rachel LordKenaga and mixed media works by Seattle artist Steve Jensen are so evocatively paired that it’s possible, in fact, to get lost while stepping through the narrow storefront space and pondering the works.

LordKenaga, an art therapist and painter known for her use of rich color in explorations of psychological themes, has created something remarkable in this show — 31 paintings of stormy seascapes, rendered in an uncharacteristic and bold slashing use of white paint, with waves crashing against dark shorelines.

These works, she said in an interview, reflect her emotional response to current events by depicting the strength of water as a symbol of resilience. She embarked on the series following last year’s election, she said, and a coinciding trip down the Pacific coast where she found both awe and inspiration in watching towering waves smash into rocks.

In seeing this display of nature, she said she thought, “This has to be the direction we go. We have to be strong like water, we have to be fluid and flexible and go around things and through things. There is a lot of stoniness in the world right now, but if we focus on being water, we can survive, and we can have optimism, because water remains, but lands crumble. Rocks turn into pebbles and sand.”

LordKenaga reached out to Steve Jensen, a revered and widely exhibited Seattle artist, who added works from his longtime “Voyager” series to the exhibtion. The series — filled with boats and other vessels made from materials including wood, glass, marine bronze and found objects — explores both Jensen’s Norwegian heritage and his own profound experiences with loss and the journey of life and death.

In their austere, elemental simplicity, his works at VALISE bring to mind the timeless capacity of humans — landlocked creatures surrounded by surging seas — to mourn and survive by creating rituals using water to wash away their grief.

Go to VALISE in June, and be transported into a space that celebrates life, death, and the pliancy of resistance. The gallery, located at 17633 Vashon Hwy SW, is open from 1-6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

This and other ghostly works by Steve Jensen can be seen in a joint exhibition with Rachel LordKenaga at VALISE Gallery. (Courtesy photo)