Exhibition Date: June 2026
Class 133
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Luminous Void
- Yang Zhang
From the moment we are born, we are evaluated through different value systems. We are taught that meeting these expectations will bring us a successful and happy life. Our worth and happiness become tied to our usefulness.
For much of my life, I accepted these beliefs without much question. However, after earning an engineering degree and working in several industries, I found myself feeling empty despite doing everything I thought was right.
I spent years struggling with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt while searching for purpose and happiness. However, my happiest moments were often when I allowed myself to be “useless”. This became even clearer after I got a cat. Watching him wander, bask in sunlight, and sleep brings me joy. He does not need to be useful; his existence is enough.
Cats, trees, and wind exist simply because they exist. Perhaps we do too. As I step outside society’s value systems and embrace being “useless”, I find my happiness.
Materials: Acrylic Paint on Canvas
Can I Live Forever?
- Daniel Song
Living life longer has been a dream for humanity for ages of time, since everyone fears the end in life which includes me.
I always feared if I closed my eyes, I'll never be able to open it again. This fear that I have connects to hope of living eternally, running away and hoping not to die.
The painting Ssip-jang-sang-do (십장생도) is a traditional Korean style of painting with 10 symbol that represents long, happy living, Which also represents hopes of long living, and fear of death.
The huge cut in the center of the wood is the overcome of the fear of death and false hope in eternal living, also representing growth, maturing and accepting life as is.
Pine tree was the most standing out symbol of the 10 in Ssip-jang-sang-do, and by painting on that I wanted to represent both growth and eternal living.
Materials: Acrylic Paint, Pine Tree, Axe
Selective Beauty
- Cypress Yan
This work explores the idea that everything has more than one side, and that things are not always what they seem. By encouraging viewers to look at the sculpture from different angles, I hope to inspire them to consider multiple perspectives and reflect on their relationship with nature.
I chose sculpture because its three-dimensional form allows viewers to move around the piece and discover different viewpoints. The materials were selected to represent the diversity of nature. Embroidery, paper, beads, sewing, and watercolor each have unique textures and qualities represent the characteristics of the four seasons while working together as a whole.
My inspiration came from the concern for environmental issues and my personal experience. I believe art can encourage awareness and reflection. Through this work, I hope viewers develop a deeper understanding towards different perspectives.
Materials: Foam board, Thread, Beads , Watercolor, Paper
Expression
- Sammy Corriolan
Language is often considered one of the world's greatest forms of communication, and as someone who speaks five languages, including three of the most widely spoken languages in the world, I strongly agree with that idea. Through my experiences, I have learned that language can open doors, create connections, and make everyday interactions easier. However, I have also realized that some thoughts and emotions are easier to express in certain languages than others.
French is the language that allows me to express myself most naturally and comfortably. When speaking other languages, I often rely on gestures, facial expressions, and body language to help communicate what I am trying to say or explain.
This project explores the relationship between spoken language and nonverbal communication. I chose video as my medium because it captures both words and physical expression, allowing the audience to better understand and relate to the many ways people communicate with one another.
Materials: Video
Metacognizance
- Raina Lee
5 different years, 5 different faces, 1 identity. Inspired by the concept of metamorphosis and the cycle of life, Metacognizance highlights, as a portmanteau, the meaning behind becoming more conscious about my transformation, identity, and the recognition of life's malleability. One object that materialized was a Rubik's cube. Along with a connection of playing with it growing up, it was the perfect vessel to act as a metaphor for my overwhelmingly complex life. The scrambled state depicts the broken pieces of myself after battling through two consecutive cases of childhood leaukemia and how I gradually brought order, health, and balance back. Moving on, I will continue to follow a motto that constantly serves as a path during my struggles in life: "self care is the new meta". I am and will remain a keen believer that being more mindful about oneself can bring anyone one step closer to achieving the multifaceted state of well-being.
Materials: Cardboard, Paper, Photography
Choose Your Character
- Minyeong Oh
Who is your character today? The people around you, your mood, and even the clothes you choose can make you a slightly different person from yesterday.
I find it strange that I become a different version of myself depending on where I am and who I am with. Looking back, I think I have been using different personas in different situations. It reminds me of choosing a character before starting a game, and that idea became the starting point for Choose Your Character.
As a child, I loved dress-up sticker books and spent hours creating characters by changing their outfits. These experiences led me to study Clothing and Textiles. Working in a clothing store also made me notice how people use clothing to present different versions of themselves. The garments in this installation represent who I was, who I am, who I wanted to be, and styles that feel completely unlike me.
Materials: Printed paper, Foam board, Elastic bands, Mirror
Eren Devouring Her Estradiol
- Eren Schuh
When artist Francisco Goya died, his home was searched. Painted bare on the wall was a gruesome painting he had never written about, talked about, or displayed. Something about this painting has always spoken to me. Postmortem, it was named "Saturn Devouring His Son," but Goya took the original intention of the painting to his grave.
As a transgender woman, I take estradiol every day to manage my hormone levels. I wanted to create a sort of homage to both my love for the painting and my reliance on estradiol.
The reason I chose these sticky notes to represent this is because we use sticky notes to remember things and each one represents a fragment of my life.
Materials: Sticky notes, Charcoal, Board, Glue, Mounting tape
Irresolution
- Liam de Jonge
Irresolution is a Claymation which is based on indecision; The inability to make a choice. I am exploring this theme in order to display what a mind could be going through when it cannot make a decision. It can be a process which can be both messy and monotonous. As such, I use Claymation to represent this. Clay reforms the more it is altered similar to the thoughts and decisions we make through our lives.
Personally, Irresolution is something I go through daily. I am easily overwhelmed when multiple options are presented. I have a tendency to overthink and mull over options when they present themselves. Constantly worrying if my choice will be the right one. What if i regret my choice? What if there is more options? What if I do not want to make a choice? Questions like these commence the cycle of irresolution.
Materials: Clay, Bristol Board, Popsicle Sticks, Paint, Cardboard
Trapped
- Jake Lee
Ever since I was born, video has always been a part of my life. Born in the 90s, I experienced the transition from the analog to the digital era during my childhood. The metamorphosis from a kid watching VHS tapes on CRT monitors to a teenager watching YouTube on a smartphone was quick and radical. Because of this, I hold a strong nostalgia for analog technology while feeling completely comfortable and savvy with modern digital tools.
However, as much as I love motion pictures, I can’t help but feel trapped by them. Everything I have watched makes me who I am today, but at the same time, habitual screen time hinders me from creating something truly great. Inspired by Nam June Paik’s video artwork and analog horror genre, I wanted to express this conflicting emotion through this project.
Materials: CRT monitors, laptop, camera, recorded video
Waterfalls
- Keanu Flavelle
This project is about the cycles of growth and development in life that we all go through. I use the four elements of nature - water, earth, fire, and air - and animal spirits, to reflect the essence of the different stages of growth, and the naivety we have in terms of seeing the cycle as a whole. I approached this idea by doing digital drawings in procreate, using a figurative, naive style, and presenting them in an automatic loop.
Materials: Procreate digital animation
