MFA Thesis Exhibitions 2020
Our MFA class of 2020 is exhibited exclusively online due to social distancing.
View a full gallery and learn more about this event at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU.
Chadchom Cheskhun
The Ephemeral Nature of Memory
The Ephemeral Nature of Memory follows a concept in three stages: Stage I: Pure Memory, Stage II: Remained, and Stage III: There is No There. Each stage includes a body of work, which represents a stage of memory. The intention is for the viewer to look beyond the subject of the images, to the process, which reveals something altogether new in form and perception.
Polaroid photographs are central to each stage. Polaroid film evokes feelings of privacy, preciousness, nostalgia, and realization the image is unique and non-reproducible. Thus, evoking private memories and feelings.
Richie Masias
The Quarks of Time Travel
I am stuck in a cycle of reliving moments of the past and longing for the times that once were. I both fear and appreciate the beauty in life’s impermanence. A constant loop within my psyche aids me in my travel to such places, though I will never truly be able to arrive. I must watch from a distance, experiencing the time travel without being able to interact with it directly.
Azzah Sultan
Anak Dara
Growing up in Malaysia, our culture and customs are significant areas of familial focus. It is important to not lose touch of who we are; the rite of passage to transfer knowledge is traditionally passed from one generation to the next. “Anak Dara” is a Malay term that translates to ‘a young and unmarried child.’ It is a term of endearment my mother often uses.
In this body of work, “Anak Dara” is an ode to the diaspora of leaving home and the journey to recover what was lost through materiality, performance, and the power of my mother’s voice.
Kelsey Baker
Call of the Void
L’appel du vide is a French idiom that literally translates to “the call of the Void,” but more poetically describes intrusive thoughts related to one’s immediate surroundings—the presence of circumstances with mortal potential.
This body of work presents multiple thresholds that offer imaginary access to Void-like spaces, and bodily experiences of these spaces that are felt rather than lived. The paintings are not portals, as such, but invite the viewer to experience a thinning of the veil; brush up against the edge of the unknown, containing everything and nothing. The projection and entryway offer suggestions for what these undefined, liminal spaces may hold.
Mohsen Bchir
Microbiota: Evidence Of Symbiosis
In this work, I re-examine the long-existing relationship between humans and nature by focusing on our symbiotic connections through touches and their traces.
I use petri dishes as a tool to reveal the myriad micro and macro interactions, that we are continuously having with our surroundings. Therefore, I consider them an extension of what defines the contemporary human portrait.
“What is it to be human?”
In the juxtaposition of arts and sciences, this work highlights interdisciplinary and collaboration as key factors to blur the rigid boundaries separating scientific methodology and art aesthetics.
Harry Mestyanek
Courtesy of the Artist
I begin by creating space and making time for the participant; to slow down, to pause, to touch, to hold. I establish equity, a sense of balance, a sense of harmony. We have something in common, something shared, a point of exchange. The participant can engage my work in a tangible way; they may choose to take part visually, physically, or both. The viewer then becomes a translator and can inhabit the work.
Minimalism and repetition enable my work to be visually accessible. Blending the time-honored practice of ceramics with contemporary digital technology is the cornerstone of my practice.
Qarthian
You Can’t Hot Glue Your Cat Back Together
In 2015, we moved to Sonoma County. I was content to play in the dry creek bed for a time, but eventually, I longed to wander in the bay forest. I got lost. It was assumed that I had been trampled by wild pigs. And I was left behind.
I’ve been walking North ever since. I’m trying to get back to my home. I’m a very old tuxedo cat, now. And even if I reach my home, I know I can never return to the past I long for.
-Igor (whereabouts unknown)
