Their final presentation comes from this year-long, two-part, thesis course, installed and on view to the public at the end of the academic year. This uniquely thoughtful and earnest display of paintings, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and various forms of mixed media practice features the work of the following artists.

2026 Exhibition Details

May 12鈥�26, 2026
Opening reception: May 12,听5 p.m.
Gallery hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 a.m.鈥�5 p.m., Thursday from 12:30鈥�5 p.m..
The Art Gallery at 可乐视频

Meet the Artists

Nazanin Ashorzadeh

I am a multimedia artist working across painting, sculpture and photography to conjure the complexities of romantic and familial love. Born as a first-generation Iranian American, my practice explores the realities of womanhood and cultural diaspora by focusing on expressing the ideas of failed love and obsession. I aim to merge these concepts through the physical connection of steel and canvas. My acrylic paintings allow the fusion of steel to be an unlikely connection that represents a string which tethers nostalgia and romance to experiences recorded through memory and photographs. Whether large-scale acrylic paintings or small steel renditions of keepsakes, the goal of these works is to stir a discussion around the unintentional shortcomings of our loved ones and our willingness to treasure that which is in the past.

Raffell Bailey

I am a multimedia artist. My practice is rooted in the belief that personal growth is a continuous dialogue between the mind and the body. I am deeply interested in how discipline, self-awareness, and lived experience shape an individual over time, gradually molding identity through both intention and endurance. Through my art, I explore transformation not as a fixed destination, but as an ongoing practice. Each piece embodies moments of strain, balance, and adaptation, reflecting how the body strengthens through repetition and how the mind evolves through reflection. The textures, marks, and structural compositions within my work act as visual records of this process. They capture both control and vulnerability鈥攖he tension between stability and uncertainty that accompanies meaningful change.

Tomas Benincasa Reade

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I am a painter and draftsman. I see each artwork I create as a window into an imagined world, and thus I define my general practice as world building. My world building is informed by artists like Moebius, Hieronymus Bosch, or James Jean. These artists create works that are both otherworldly and unmistakably their own.

My art style is informed by my upbringing and heritage. I am a first-generation American with two Brazilian parents, and I was born and raised in New York City. Both cultures鈥攚hether it be the untamed nature and color of Rio de Janeiro, or the endless array of cultures and personalities in New York City鈥攁re brimming with energy. My artworks are similarly maximalist. When I create, I ensure that every inch of canvas is imbued with rich color, every ounce of paint is applied in an equally delicate manner, and every stroke is made with intention.

As such, my work draws upon the various types of art to which I was exposed throughout my life. It features the color saturation and defined forms found in Brazilian graffiti. It has the same simplified dimension seen in the Mayan, Egyptian, and Medieval Western European art I saw while exploring the Metropolitan Museum as a child. The warped physical proportions are reminiscent of the classic American animation style I grew up watching in cartoons. By grounding my art in these myriad influences, I create subjects that feel completely unique, yet vaguely familiar to the audience. While my artworks feel otherworldly and vast, the stories told within each piece are extremely intimate. Each piece focuses on a single person, relationship, or place. By rooting my work in real stories, I have the freedom to manipulate any aspect of my world without sacrificing the relatability of its message.

My own visual language is carefully designed to help viewers to investigate my imagined world. My painting technique revolves around a rather unorthodox layering of watercolor paint. By using meticulous glazes of paint atop vast washes of color, I create palettes that are both rich and delicate. By combining that with application with rounded forms, my works adopt a gentle, comforting atmosphere that is easy to explore.

David Cespedes

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My focus in my art currently has been the issues of colorism and self-identity in the Dominican community. It’s been a creative process where I鈥檝e been using a lot of symbolism鈥� where I鈥檝e been pointing out certain aspects of these ideas of colorism that I鈥檝e witnessed and tackling the root of these ideas. I use masks in these paintings to reveal the subjects鈥� true lineage and to not shy away from them, although the subject may participate in the realm of colorism. Although masks are usually shown as someone hiding their true identity and performing another, I do the opposite.

My artworks also identify where this idea comes from. I would usually show a skeleton wearing a Spanish conquistador armor set to essentially display what this idea is rooted in and also display that these old ideas still exist鈥攁nd with that in mind, I create pieces rejecting that idea. As a person coming from a Dominican background, I鈥檝e always wanted to shine some light on this topic. I do believe that it is important to talk about this topic in various ways and I believe that by painting these figures of colorism being rejected in these works, by adding a creative expression to a serious topic, it helps elevate the conversation. When it comes to self-identity, it is a more personal side that shows in my artwork because it has to deal with a lifelong battle of acknowledging your lineage and what group you belong to in the Hispanic/Latino community鈥攚hether you refer to yourself as an Afro-Latino, Mestizo, someone of mixed race, etc. These works are more inclined toward how it felt, and being experimental about how I felt, in those moments in time of being confused about the idea of having to identify yourself as a particular group, other than being Dominican.

Melissa Cosentino

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As a visual artist working with paper and oil pastels, I create work that is an honest yet playful defiance of the rigid expectations artists often hold themselves to, to make 鈥減erfect鈥� art deemed worthy by others. I see my characters as a microcosm of my internal world鈥攖hey are their own independent beings, yet are simultaneously reflections of my stream of consciousness. They act as a visual diary for my ongoing journey to break away from my harsh inner standards of worthiness; rediscovering art as an act of self-fulfillment rather than a source of external validation. My pieces are authentically and unapologetically themselves, with purposeful marks and imperfections visible as evidence of intention rather than of inadequacy. Through my artistic exploration, I seek to use my vulnerability as a source of strength, to reclaim creation as an act of self-acceptance rather than self-judgement, and to show that worthiness is our own to define.

Mars Harris

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Every day, thousands of items are discarded without the thought of being reused. I have made it my mission in my art practice to be as resourceful as possible. I utilize found materials such as magazines, cardboard, old canvases, and fabric. A huge part of everything that I do revolves around reusing and repurposing items that most people would ignore or even throw out. Art to me is about experience and experimentation, about expressing my joy and my fear, about living with the objects around me and finding a way to make something out of nothing. Due to this, my work takes form across many different mediums, from charcoal drawings to paintings, from paintings to sculptures made from scraps and newspaper.

My art also revolves around themes of connection, mental health, and growing up in a complex environment. The main focus of my work has been a series of works that follow a mother and daughter, Connor and Jen, over the course of their lives and through the struggle between Connor and her mental illness and drug addiction. There is a large range of emotions that come with a parent being addicted to drugs, and I hope to show that through my paintings. My goal is not to demonize those who are addicted to drugs, nor is it to exploit the themes of addiction, but it is to show the way that addiction affects a whole family, not just the person who is trapped in that cycle. These characters have grown up beside me, developed as I have, and have helped me through things that most people in my life haven鈥檛 heard the details about.

Shira 鈥淎dora鈥� Kenny

I am an artist who aims to capture my human identity through self-reflections in gouache, ink, and watercolor combined with expressionism and comic abstraction. I think of my own art practice as an act of presence, a depiction of in-the-moment ideas and purpose through fast mark making and sporadic color. I find the most satisfaction in life through creating tangible works of art and feeding into my own fascination with the body and what it means to be present.

Kisha Landais

As a Black non-binary artist who finds community development and belonging through craft, I especially value clay. It’s a medium that always grounds my practice and body. As I’m using clay as a therapeutic practice, I feel this connection to the earth and the communities that I deeply care about nurturing. Slowing down, listening, and building relationships is what clay allows me to do. The sense of safety and familiarity is an invitation for viewers to use clay themselves through repetitions of patterns, shapes, textures, and colors. My vessels and sculptures are an open gesture to encourage others to imagine themselves working with clay, reconnect with their hands, find their own moments of grounding and belonging, as it’s a place of connections.

Ashley Lord

My work explores the human experience as a journey toward holiness, navigating the temptations that can hinder spiritual growth. This collection presents a spiritual experience, exploring the interaction between misalignment and divine guidance. Through my work, I examine moments of indulgence and temptation as part of the journey, while showing that God鈥檚 presence and grace are always available.

I believe that spiritual awareness holds the potential to foster personal transformation and deepen our understanding of the world. While a relationship with the spiritual realm can sometimes feel overwhelming, exploring it is most meaningful and safest when guided by God. There are always forces that threaten our peace, joy, and identity, yet hope endures through faith. I often reflect on how I can become a better person for myself and others, and turning to scripture guides me toward honest, intentional reflection. I believe meaningful change begins within the individual, rather than hoping the world will change on its own.

This perspective influences my artistic practice, as I value how artwork can reflect an artist鈥檚 inner thoughts and emotional landscape. My work often begins as a simple visual idea, but over time, it develops into something more layered and meaningful than I first imagined. I trust the role of intuition in my creative process. I typically begin by imagining what would be visually compelling and then gather a diverse set of materials, ranging from pen, pencil, and paper to magazines, acrylic paint, air-dry clay, wire, books, and cardboard, to bring that vision to life. I welcome interpretation and find it meaningful to hear what resonates with people and what they take away from the work.

For the Redemption collage, I used images from a free library book about the production of an old Christian film called King of Kings (1961). The book included photos of actors and filming locations, which turned out to be perfect for the piece. I had been looking for free material for my next work, and I hope that, as viewers spend time with this particular piece, they continue to discover new details and meanings. In the collage, I cut and reshaped Mary into the form of an angel鈥檚 wing, symbolizing protection, hope, and divine presence. Even in times of suffering, doubt, or confusion, guidance is always present.

The collage with the woman and money falling around her is meant to depict her desperation and the moment where someone wants more than what they need. Focusing on what you lack rather than what you have can be destructive. The collage with the man and suggestive images around him serves as a sibling portrait, portraying lust. He’s an extension of the moral tension explored in the collection. I hope viewers find it relatable, whether through their own experiences or personal observations. In a way, he mirrors my own experiences as a woman encountering social advances, just as the piece about greed reflects the lure of excess. Together, these works explore temptation and the ways such impulses can challenge the pursuit of a spiritually mindful life.

These pieces are intended to capture moments of reflection, providing space to consider human impulses, choices, and perhaps their relationship with God and the world. Overall, the collection serves as a meditation on the human experience, offering awareness of the state of the world while affirming the enduring presence of God and His encompassing love.

Brithanie Lugo

When words aren鈥檛 enough, sometimes art is. The warmth of a sunrise, the unnoticed sorrow, or the quiet moments no one else sees. I strive to capture fleeting moments through illustrations and paintings, experimenting with light, color, and form. My instincts guide my hands, helping me turn what I see and feel into something palpable to others; through abstract pieces or detailed ones, exploring ideas and emotions that are difficult to express with words. The process of creating also forces me to address every feeling and thought that comes from it. A constant cry demanding to be seen. My work invites conversation鈥攐ccasions where I can share private moments and what matters most to me: my emotions, my perspective, my faith in Jesus Christ and the journey He鈥檚 taken me on throughout my life. My creative work allows me to bring those thoughts to life and share them with others.

Samantha Martinez

Samantha Martinez is a multimedia artist creating from the nostalgia of her home and memories. Born and raised in New York City in a very immigrant community, she has found herself surrounded by her Mexican roots all her life. Painting became a big part of her creative practice, especially in college through taking an oil painting course and being pushed to create her first 5-foot painting. Her ideas came naturally through themes and prompts she was given but outside of that she was always creating on her own. Her Mexican culture and connection to New York City fueled her ideas in many ways. Many pieces started off through childhood photographs and nostalgia. Others are based on loved ones and memories. Now a mix of it all is in 6-foot paintings as a love letter to her view on New York City.

The thesis is composed of acrylic paintings on raw canvas, hung from the ceiling to create an installation鈥攔ecreating the illusion of being on the train with the addition of recordings from train travels. Each panel tells its own story. One is her love story. Her first long-term relationship and support system for the past four years as their intimacy is shown in closeness and eye contact. Two, an ode to her CUNY education and current-day politics with a campaign poster and CUNY ad. Three, an homage to immigrants of New York City and the damaging government use of ICE in the country. Four, a family portrait celebrating her Mexican heritage and close familial relation.

Her father, Jesus Martinez, was always known to be the source of her creative being and spirit鈥攁 man who worked hard to provide his family with everything he did not have as a child, such as a home where a family could simply eat together as one. He brought her up to use her hands in crafts such as making pinatas or holiday decor for the home. Paper, glue, and scissors were the basis of all their projects. It was not until high school that she started to paint and experiment with a diverse number of mediums, one of those being video and editing. Her passion for video came from film and online media. As an addition to the installation, short videos have been created as an attachment to each panel, telling the story of how each panel was conceptualized and created.

Hideka Minami

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Painting is primarily used to further the discussion of how care moves through repetition and depends on the systems it operates within. Exploring the space of care that isn’t performative but rather repetitive, mundane, and habitual, it is practiced quietly, unnoticed, over time. Through delayed recognition, the past begins to reorganize itself. Actions that once appeared unified shift and fragment, taking on different forms of significance. Using the medium as a language model, it aids and dictates my visual storytelling. The work inhabits the space where recognition arrives, revealing the fragility of the structures we operate in.

Kevin Molina

Through the means of multimedia and experimentation, I explore a variety of topics鈥攕uch as icons, my culture, and political issues. I’m influenced by different art periods and the usage of photography to incorporate into my works, to create new objects through storytelling. The mediums and subjects I explore are repeated throughout my works, referencing my past pieces to create new ones and deepening the meanings of the works when approaching from a new angle.

Xinia Okoren

Through oil paints and printmaking, I visualize my experience of acculturation and the idea of home. Utilizing the time and repetition required for these media allows me the space for introspection within the composition. Sifting through memories, I navigate the nuances of nostalgia and the following emotions to create a tangible image of how I reconstruct my life within the country I was raised in, with distinction from the one I was born in. Accepting the divergence from the expectations brought upon the firstborn daughter of an immigrant family, these works resolve the internal conflict that came from such fragmented worlds into intricate textures woven together between the cultures that raised me.

Maliq Ruffin

The work that is being created is a comic book project idea. What sparked this idea was my motivation for drawing fictional characters. This is due to my fondness for animation as it has always inspired me to do art. Originally, I thought about becoming an animator and I would always draw fictional characters from existing media that I liked growing up.

The materials used for this project involve watercolor paint and pencils, mixed media paper, graphite pencils, stumps, color pencils, markers, and sometimes crayons. The process of this project involved cutting out the mixed media paper as evenly as possible, creating smaller pages. The scaling for the pages is approximately 9 inches by 12 inches, but the comic panels are each different in size. I would try to cut the mixed media paper as best as possible to make each page equivalently within the same size.

This comic book idea is solely based around my original characters. During my spare free time, I like to draw these characters and put them in different scenarios. The story for my project mostly focuses on two main characters named Z (full name: Zaquary) and Q (full name: Quebella), who are the male and female protagonists of the story. Both characters will be working together to save one of their planets from an up-and-coming threat, but will also be expecting assistance from an unexpected adversary. A villainous character will be teaming up with them after his own planet is taken over by the same monstrous threat that is attacking one of Z鈥檚 and Q鈥檚 worlds. This universe has two Earths, with one being the original and the other planet under a different name.

In regards to the different settings throughout the story, I would use still-life images from online as references for my work, in order to convey some realistic expectations when it came to incorporating trees, vehicles, roadways, and other elements into backgrounds.

Many of the color choices for certain backgrounds were sometimes based off of the image references that I used. However, in terms of the characters of the project, most of the color choices and designs of them are based on my original ideals.

Melissa Sanchez Cabanas

As a multidisciplinary artist, I create my artwork using various mediums, ranging across painting, screen printing, ceramics, fabric, and textile manipulation to create sculptural pieces. In the process of making my work, I use recycled fabric and materials to keep it sustainable and encourage this practice among others, communicating that art is accessible and relatable. Using anything, including old T-shirts, knitted scarfs, bed sheets, lace, sequin fabric, and discarded clothing scraps, I arrange my work to create a balance between texture and colors that complement each other, enhancing the properties of the material. Staying within the bounds of my Mexican culture, color is a prominent aspect that I focus on and portray in my work. The use of bright and striking colors in my choices of textiles also translates within my other mediums of work.

These selective mediums allow me to be and feel connected to my artwork, creating and using my hands to bring my ideas and emotions to life. Preferably working on a larger scale, I want my pieces to be relatable and to captivate viewers. Each piece created represents a part of myself and my community as a first-generation Mexican-American artist.

For my series, my parents are my biggest inspiration in my creation of art. They inspire me to pursue my abilities and raised me to grow and love my Mexican culture. Along with the beauty of the culture, there is pain and suffering deeply rooted in many generations. I wanted to highlight not only the struggles my parents faced but the dreams and experiences they have missed out on growing up鈥攅mphasizing their dreams and aspirations from a young age that have been put off and sacrificed in order to provide themselves and their children with a better life, a selfless act of love many parents wouldn’t hesitate to make.

Using textile to create a quince dress my mother never experienced and making sculptural representations of the shoes my father wore when crossing the border to the United States are some works that emotionally resonate with the majority of the Hispanic immigrant population. Bringing forward tribute to all those parents, and that thanks to their humble sacrifice and dedication to their kids, brought a new generation of grateful, hardworking, and generous people.

Elizabeth Sanni

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I am a Haitian鈥揘igerian American artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in an immigrant household, I was given responsibilities at a young age: caring for my younger siblings, taking them to and from school, and managing tasks such as cooking and cleaning. While these duties are often normalized within Caribbean and African households, they shaped my early understanding of care, duty, and self. As the oldest daughter in a family of five siblings, my work emerges from the lived experience of becoming what I call the Haitian鈥揘igerian American parentified adult, a role shaped by responsibility, cultural expectation, and emotional translation. If I were to connect a film to the experience of my family and upbringing, I would reference Crooklyn. Like the film, my work reflects the rhythms of a large, tightly knit family growing up in Brooklyn, where responsibility, humor, and care coexist. This influence appears in my work through layered compositions, interconnected forms, and multiple figures that echo sibling dynamics and shared space.

Working across oil painting, digital art, and textiles, I create layered compositions where color and form carry emotional weight. Thread-like lines bind forms across the surface, symbolizing relationships, care, and responsibility. Influenced by the vibrancy of Haitian and Yoruba visual culture, I use saturated color, patterned surfaces, and layered materials to reflect memory and cultural heritage. In one work, I reference The Breakfast Club, reimagining its iconic composition as a moment of emotional release and connection. The piece reflects vulnerability, identity, and the shared experience of being seen by those you love. In another, a wood panel painting depicts my childhood self transitioning into adulthood, beginning with myself, skateboarding into life. Titled Where Your Flowers Grow, the work explores growth, movement, and the passage of time, capturing the ongoing evolution of self within my environment and family structure.

These threads and connections represent both tension and care. They reflect the bonds within diasporic families, where community and responsibility are deeply intertwined. The act of holding, supporting, and navigating these relationships becomes central to my visual language. Rather than centering trauma, my work focuses on the balance between pressure and softness. Moments of joy, humor, and play emerge within layered compositions, reflecting the childlike energy that persists within responsibility. Ultimately, my work explores how identity is shaped through care and one鈥檚 sustainability of self. Within that exchange, something enduring is created: resilience, perspective, and quiet joy. I remain rooted in gratitude despite complexity. I am still here, navigating, becoming whole, and that is enough.

Adelaide Snow

Dreamlike, playful, and abstracted works are created between written word and multimedia. These various landscapes explore emotionality and interior experiences. Working quickly is a tool to express emotionality, as the process is as important as the final project for me, with painting feeling instinctual. Starting from a phrase or even a simple word, I express how this idea makes me feel, and the images it creates. The paintings become 鈥渨ord-scapes,鈥� abstracted with new formal qualities, quiet expressions of interior and loved experiences.

Tia Turner

My work is about the deeper meaning and view of fantasy. I created my project based on Dark Fantasy for reality. Many people may say nature is beautiful and fulfilling, but I say it gets darker than that. My view of nature goes both ways; it’s like life, there are expectations and reality. One minute you’re living life to the fullest, then one wrong move can change everything. It’s like trees: when staring at them for too long, you start to see something else. For my world, I incorporated materials such as cardboard, aluminum foil, and faux plants to create a fantasy place no one would imagine. Creating art has always been scary for me because not everyone will agree with or like what you make, since it’s not something they would make themselves or even buy. I told myself that you were not born to please other people, but to show them what you can do. The theme of Dark Fantasy is for me a place to put my version of thoughts about what I believe really happened.

I want to showcase how it feels to be in my world鈥攕tarting with large trees on each side that should give you a dark, eerie feeling, as if someone or something is watching. I do want my audience to have their own meanings and views about my work, but I still want them to understand the original story behind it. Adding bright colors to the world of darkness still shows the beauty within it; that’s why I fused it, because yes, it can be scary at times, but try to explore and see the beauty through it.

Khan Vongjalorn

My art tackles and creates a space for me to express myself, similar to street and graffiti artists, who claim spaces through their art. I create and carve ceramic figurative sculptures using the visual language of graffiti. Common motifs in my works are faces, sea creatures, and phrases that express my emotions.

Despite being born and raised in Guam, and growing up Filipino and Thai, I鈥檝e always lacked the space and voice to truly express myself within these communities. I use ceramic sculptures to claim and create a space for other people who feel rejected by their community. I point to the human figure in my sculptures through expressive faces to convey a multitude of emotions. I use animals from my homeland to create a parallel between their relationships within their ecosystems and my experiences within my society.

The significance of graffiti in my work is to assert my presence, to express my desire to belong. I use various graffiti styles as a means of conveying emotions that come with not being granted space in my community. I choose forms based on the sense of placement they evoke. Although they may seem random or out of place, that very feeling reflects where I belong.

Anthony Zhang

I am a visual artist who works primarily with digital illustrations with an appreciation for animation. My passion for art is largely in part thanks to the support from my peers and I think my art is a reflection of my admiration for them. My goal is to pursue the feeling of excitement and gratification from the pieces I make; its process and the steps it takes towards improvement. Self-reflection is not something I’m interested in exploring, as I don’t consciously use my art as an outlet for deep or thoughtful contemplations; I just want to draw, improve, and learn. I think at the end of the day, I just want to say to myself that I’m happy with what I drew.

Li Zhi Zheng

I am a mixed-media artist who uses soft sculptures to explore nostalgia and hoarding. My works revolve around self-portraits placed in a sea of recreated childhood toys. I believe that each piece holds a treasured childhood memory and connects with my inner child.

These sculptures are made of various types of felt, such as needle and paper, as well as papier-m芒ch茅 and beads. Felt is a big representation in my sculptures because I want them to feel soft and look dreamy. In contrast with trinkets, which are usually made of plastic, I want to show how comforting they are to me in my personal space. They are a reflection of myself and how I visualize nostalgia. I embed clustered beads as a symbol of fragmented memories in my mind. As a whole, I created a space for how my memories are stored and memorialized. My art seeks those who resonate with their childhood memories the same way.

Encountering certain toys, I reminisce about memories of my siblings, who collected and shared them with me. I often envision a time when I had no struggles or worried about my future. These are the feelings I get when I collect; they become a fresh breath of air that clears my mind for a moment. I would purchase them in hopes of filling my room with memories of others.

Coming from an East Asian immigrant household, collecting and hoarding becomes a blurred line. My family would hoard due to low income and the fear of losing everything. Growing up, I have become adapted to a dad lifestyle where everything is a necessity. Although hoarding is often perceived negatively, I see it as a way to fill myself with happiness and an internal connection.

To this day, I still collect a lot of trinkets, which shows in a way there鈥檚 a part of me that travels back to my inner child. The desire and obsession to have a peaceful place to go back to, to rest from adult life, and to cheer myself up.

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The exhibition, (February 18鈥揂pril 19, 2026) explores the dynamic relationship between fashion and fine art through more than 140 objects from the Museum at FIT’s collection. Curated by Elizabeth Way, the exhibition examines the enduring question, 鈥淚s fashion art?鈥� In his writing, Richards argues that fashion qualifies as art when it demonstrates innovation, craftsmanship, and cultural impact. Garments by designers from Charles Frederick Worth to Iris van Herpen illustrate these qualities. The show also highlights collaborations between artists and designers, and how each discipline inspires the other, revealing fashion and art as powerful, parallel forces shaping culture and creativity.

The Museum at FIT is widely regarded as one of the premier fashion museums in the world, making this recognition especially significant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous honor,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淭he Museum at FIT is an internationally respected institution, and to see my work inform an exhibition at that level is both humbling and deeply gratifying.鈥�

In conjunction with the exhibition, , where Richards will participate in a scholarly conversation related to the themes of the show.

In addition to this recognition, Richards is also preparing for the third and final chapter of his own exhibition project, Ghanaian Fashion, at the Harn Museum of Art.听The exhibition will open in May.

Richards鈥� work continues to shape contemporary conversations about global fashion, art, and cultural production, bringing international perspectives into academic and museum spaces alike.

For more information about the Museum at FIT exhibition and related events, please go

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Best known for his collage-inspired paintings of people constructed out of geometric blocks of color and engaged in leisure activities, Adams brings the everyday experience of Black Americans to the forefront, capturing moments of joy, resilience, and celebration.

To honor the dynamic evolution of his artistic vision and mission, Derrick Adams, a self-titled monograph, will be published on October 22. Featuring 150 of his most significant works to date alongside insightful scholarly essays, this landmark volume affirms Adams鈥� place as one of the most influential American artists of our time.

Published by Monacelli, the book organizes his artwork into three sections named for themes that recur throughout his practice: 鈥淐hanneling,鈥� 鈥淪ignaling,鈥� and 鈥淢irroring.鈥� In 鈥淐hanneling,鈥� readers will see works that investigate ideas surrounding the ubiquity of television and the emotions that media representation can conjure in us. The works in 鈥淪ignaling鈥� explore the depth of the visual language Adams has created, in which visual clues, cultural motifs, and text construct what he calls 鈥渟eriocomic imagery.鈥�

Derrick Adams’ self-titled book will be out October 22.

In 鈥淢irroring,鈥� readers will experience images born of Adams鈥� desire to see Black American experiences mirrored in art, in part rectifying the dearth of such imagery in art history. At its core, Adams鈥� project is a reinvigoration of the Black figure in art, an intention seen throughout the works in the book.

Some interview highlights include:

• An introduction elucidating the book鈥檚 three themes, written by curator and Adams鈥� studio manager, Alyssa Alexander.
• An in-depth conversation between Adams and art-world veteran Sandra Jackson-Dumont explores Adams鈥� beginnings as a gallerist in New York, tracing his many roles as arts educator, community builder, and studio artist.
• ICA Philadelphia curator Hallie Ringle writes about the formal properties of Adams鈥� work and how they both strengthen and inform the narrative qualities of his art.
• Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning writer and New York Times columnist Salamishah Tillet explores the cultural contexts of Adams鈥� work, speaking to the powerful ways he images Blackness.
• And curator Dexter Wimberly writes about Adams鈥� multidisciplinary practice, illuminating how his exhibitions, performances, and interactive installations are inextricably linked to his overall artistic vision.

Derrick Adams releases ahead of a major midcareer survey of Adams鈥� work, 鈥淰iew Master,鈥� opening at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston in April 2026.

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These are two of the key questions this year’s Art, B.F.A. students are wrestling with in the 2025 exhibition, “I can carry you, if you鈥檒l carry me.” The show features sixteen undergraduate artists working across various media, and the entire campus community is invited to enjoy the show.

Exhibition Details

鈥淚 can carry you, if you鈥檒l carry me鈥�
The Art Gallery at 可乐视频, located on lower level of Boylan Hall
May 13 to June 6
Opening reception: May 13 at 5 p.m.

Instructor Tahir Karmali On the Show

In our pursuit of defining ourselves, we have fractured our connections to our collective identity. We have built niches to distance ourselves, growing comfortable in isolation, while seeking validation from others and rejecting those who don鈥檛 fit our constructed narratives. What if there were no secrets between us? Can we truly be honest with each other?

Over the past year, the B.F.A. capstone program has wrestled with these questions, examining what it means to be authentically transparent鈥攁nd whether true transparency can even exist. How do we open ourselves fully without fear of rejection or consequence?

This exhibition is a reckoning with those very questions. Through a range of visual expressions鈥攆rom installation to printmaking鈥攖he students have come together, creating a community built on mutual risk. In a world that thrives on division, they dared to be vulnerable. Risk is not something easily taken in isolation. It is only through solidarity and compassion that we can summon the courage to truly be seen.

Here, the artists push against their own silos, using their work to break down barriers. This exhibition is not just about self-expression; it is a confrontation with how we hide from each other, and an urgent call to consider how we might connect with one another despite our differences. At its core, this work asks us to face the risks of honesty鈥攁nd the compassion required to meet each other fully.

Meet the Artists

Leah Bennett

I am a visual artist who experiments with printmaking, painting, and textile materials to explore certain facets of trauma. Drawing from the visual language of common folklore, I analyze and subvert conventional conceptions of childhood trauma. I examine the psyche as it relates to victim/abuser dynamics. I also reclaim childlike curiosity by bridging the gap between the whimsical and 3D through soft sculpture and wearable objects.

Dylan Calderon

I am an illustrator, tattoo artist, and visual artist based in Brooklyn, and my work merges traditional craft with contemporary art-making processes, particularly through illustration and tattooing. I am fascinated by the beauty found in imperfection, especially within the context of woodblock printing, where what might be seen as flaws become integral to the artwork鈥檚 character. My practice challenges the conventional view of perfection by embracing the subtle, unexpected moments in creation鈥攎isalignments, accidental imprints, and rough edges鈥攖hat carry a unique authenticity. By making these imperfections permanent through tattooing, I transform them into something lasting, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with flaws. I take classic tattoo imagery and subject it to multiple processes鈥攄econstructing and reinterpreting鈥攗ntil the final image fully embraces the beauty of the imperfect, turning what is often viewed as a flaw into something worth celebrating.

Kevin Cardoso

I am a multimedia artist who dedicates my work to my Mexican heritage, while also exploring the theme of death. My works are done on pencil and paper, drawn digitally, and then transferred to shirts, and I am experimenting with tattooing on fake skin. This new medium gives me a sense of originality, because it is an uncommon thing to use. I wish to continue this practice to build a career in the tattooing field. .

Yadira Cepeda

I am a mixed media artist; my art is a dialogue between materials, textures, and emotions. I thrive in the space where different materials intersect and found objects tell new stories. I seek to unravel the unspoken fears, contradictions, and power structures that shape our beliefs and culture. My work is a process of layering, deconstructing, and reimagining鈥攔eflecting the complexity of the human experience.听

Vivian Ellis

I am an artist experimenting with printmaking processes to create abstract and photographic pieces and installations. My process-driven monotypes printed on domestic surfaces such as pillowcases and shower curtains are made using natural and artificial materials that are sculpted, thrown, carved, pressed, and dried between the floor of my studio and the surface of the fabric. The printed compositions of bodily forms are altered over time by the perpetual peeling, flaking, stretching, and decaying of the materials crusted onto the fabric鈥檚 surface. My work is informed by stillness and movement, personal and collective memory, the bulls of Lascaux, and the torrents of rivers.

Elena Grachev

Informed by the long-standing tradition of storytelling, my art practice is a meditation on myth, memory, and imagination on the body. As a vessel and living testament to the human experience, I embrace a dialogue of identity in the language of anthropomorphic form, alternating between the boundaries of structure and absurdity. My process is informed by an instinctive, visceral desire to create a space where one can indulge themselves in the body鈥檚 exquisite, grotesque glory: the undulating spine, the traversing intestine, the serpentine folds of skin鈥攑alpable鈥攑ulse with dark, sensual rhythms鈥攊ntertwined, transmuted, perpetual.

Amani Hanna Gripper

I am a visual mixed-media artist dedicated to evoking emotion through my work. I am currently reimagining folklore and horror-inspired women, blending myth with my personal artistic vision. While many of these legendary figures were not originally depicted as Black, I choose to paint Black women, claiming a space within these narratives. Since I am drawn to eerie tales and supernatural beings, I use my art to reinterpret these stories, infusing them with my own perspective and style.

Wafa Haider

Art, for me, is both a language and a weapon鈥攁 space where poetry, politics, and visual storytelling collide. As a poet and multimedia artist, I navigate the intersections of identity, power, and resistance through the lens of a woman. My work challenges the gaze, disrupts the narrative, and reclaims the spaces where voices like mine have been silenced. At its core, my work is about power: who holds it, who is denied it, and how we can reclaim it through art and storytelling.

Jin Wen Huang

I am an artist focused on concept character design. I love the challenge of showing personality through visual storytelling, creating characters that connect emotionally, and combining unique designs with meaningful stories. Inspired by art, culture, and human experiences, I aim to design characters that spark imagination and feel alive. Each character begins as an exploration of who they are and the world they live in. Whether for animation, comics, or games, my goal is to bring characters to life in ways that are both seen and felt.听

Jesse Irizarry

I am an acrylic painter who creates abstract worlds, inviting viewers to explore their depth and complexity. Through bold experimentation with color, I let it speak for itself, becoming an integral part of the subject matter. Painting is a cathartic process for me as each mistake fuels growth, pushing myself to paint more and make progressive strides. My art aligns with contemporary abstract movements, often featuring fluid, alien-like forms that blur the line between the familiar and the unknown.

Zain Latif

My work explores the complex tapestry of Pakistani and South Asian history, weaving together illustration and photography to illuminate lived experiences and familial narratives. I use visual storytelling to reclaim and celebrate identities often marginalized or erased within dominant cultural narratives. Through intimate portraits and symbolic imagery, I examine the intergenerational impact of societal pressures and the resilience of individuals navigating personal and cultural landscapes. Ultimately, my art seeks to foster dialogue and understanding, creating a space for reflection and connection within the multifaceted diaspora.

Cindy Peralta Rodriguez

I am a visual artist with a focus on photography; I aim to capture intimate, melancholic, and chaotic moments that explore the themes of coming-of-age and religious trauma. Through diptychs, I aim to showcase the overlap between both themes and allow each pairing to tell its own story. My work explores the feelings of rebellion, guilt, and the search for identity behind religious devotion during adolescence and young adulthood. Growing up in a strictly Christian household, my personal experiences inherently influence my work and shape the narrative I explore. In confronting these themes, I aim to share part of myself and voice a common struggle of youth caught between faith and autonomy.

Jeanette Tebele Terzi

As an abstract artist, my work focuses on layering and manipulating opacity to create depth and atmosphere, with colors overlapping and interacting to reveal subtle transformations. I enjoy exploring the interplay of color, space, and perspective through large-scale acrylic compositions. Each painting begins with a concept and emotion, evolving into a visual exploration of space, structure, and perspective. The composition offers the viewer a dynamic and shifting spatial experience.

Leiah Thompson

I am a visual artist whose work delves into the complex emotions and connections that shape my daily life. By incorporating a diverse range of both conventional and unconventional materials, I aim to reflect the chaotic nature of emotions. Creating has always served as a means of connecting with both others and myself. My goal is for my work to resonate with viewers, allowing them to feel as if they are encountering a familiar stranger and prompting them to reflect on the emotions and thoughts it evokes.

Jian Lin Wang

I am an ink and graphite artist who uses pen and brush to create everything from structured products and architectural designs to dynamic figures. Drawing, to me, is the pursuit of precision; in cautious calculation and contrast, I find both a sense of security and accomplishment. My work follows a structured order and process. I begin with the ground base, thinking of space, angles of an object, and the camera distance. I constantly seek symmetry in this specific space, identifying the foreshortening of shapes in different spaces before constructing lines. Drawing is a deliberate practice. As I learn and apply new techniques, I focus on the present, dive into more thoughts, and embrace more challenges.

Jenny Yu

As a painter, my work centers on the tension between realism and portraiture. I wish to capture the complexity of human expression with my brush. While grounded in realism, I incorporate subtle manipulative elements鈥攄istorted textures, unexpected color shifts, or layered compositions鈥攖o evoke emotions that are felt rather than fully understood. The tension between the seen and unseen allows viewers to explore their interpretations and connections. I am driven to transform familiar faces into windows for storytelling and emotional resonance.

2025 B.F.A. Exhibition Details

鈥淚 can carry you, if you鈥檒l carry me鈥�
The Art Gallery at 可乐视频, located on lower level of Boylan Hall
May 13 to June 6
Opening reception: May 13 at 5 p.m.

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听鈥淪aturation, Beauty in the Everyday鈥� features a career survey of works by pioneering photographer, historian, and MacArthur Fellow Deborah Willis. This exhibition contextualizes her art within the concept of saturation, using this idea as an aesthetic and conceptual tool to address themes of the politics of visibility at the center of her practice. In Willis鈥� photographs, saturation reveals the depth of feeling lying at the heart of creative and lived experience. Informed by personal, cultural, and historical influences鈥攆rom her closet to the Civil War鈥攁nd including fashion as a practice of freedom and aspiration for the Black community, Willis focuses on sites of emotional and aesthetic intimacy that actively engage expressions of beauty in the everyday.

Deborah Willis, “Faith Bartley,” 2020, 20 x 24 inches.

Deborah Willis, “Carrie at Euro Salon,” Eatonville, Florida, 2004.

Mason Webb, “Untitled (no. 4)”, Galvanized steel, paper, rope, bricks, and fluorescent lighting, 2020, 58 x 40 x 14 inches.

Mason Webb is a multidisciplinary artist who brings together material practices of sculptural metalwork, fabric and traditional painting, and vibrant wax-sculptural form. He cultivates sites of sonic mapping inspired by his formative years spent in Atlanta鈥檚 hip-hop and house music scenes. In his work, Webb synthesizes visual art, fashion, and music to create immersive venues of total experience, or gestalt. 鈥淪onic Saturation鈥� is part of a series of extensive collaborations with Atlanta- and Los Angeles鈥揵ased musician and sound artist Gwai Mak, foregrounding cross-media collaboration as a means of community-building and aesthetic exploration.

The Art Gallery at 可乐视频 officially opened Fall 2024 with a faculty exhibition called 鈥�Urban Contours.鈥� The gallery鈥檚 hours are Tuesdays鈥揟hursdays, 10 a.m.鈥�5 p.m., and Fridays, 10 a.m.鈥�3 p.m.

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Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and new media, The Art Gallery at 可乐视频鈥檚 inaugural exhibition, 鈥淯rban Contours,鈥� showcases the college鈥檚 Art Department faculty, exploring how these dynamic Brooklyn-rooted artists engage space, place, and objects. Featuring the diverse practices of more than 40 faculty members鈥攊ncluding celebrated artists Derrick Adams, Janet Carlile, Patricia Cronin, Ronaldo Kiel, Jenn McCoy, Eto Otitigbe, Archie Rand, and Doug Schwab鈥攖he exhibition considers how artists define, react, and respond to the vibrant city around them. 鈥淯rban Contours鈥� runs through Dec.听20 and will introduce the campus and broader region to one of New York City鈥檚 newest venues for the arts.

鈥淚 could not be prouder to see this important campus and community resource come to life,鈥� said 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson. 鈥淭his beautiful new space will allow 可乐视频 to showcase the work of its preeminent artists, teach students in new and vibrant ways, and help us connect better with the artistic community.鈥�

Included in The Art Gallery at 可乐视频鈥檚 inaugural exhibition will be 鈥淲here My Girls At,鈥� by Derrick Adams (top of page) and 鈥淔latbushtopia,鈥� by Ezra Wube (above).

Under the direction of the Art Department, which funded and renovated the space, the 7,000-square-foot gallery will foster collaboration across departments and will create educational opportunities and enhance interdisciplinary relationships for the campus community. On May 7, students were the stars of a soft opening of the gallery for a special exhibition that showcased their artwork as part of the B.F.A. Capstone Thesis course.

鈥淭his is a big deal鈥攁 new gallery in New York City,鈥� said Professor Mona Hadler, chair of the Art Department and a member of the advisory committee that oversees the gallery鈥檚 exhibitions. 鈥淏rooklyn has its own unique dynamism. It’s a huge center for the arts now.鈥�

Hadler added that the committee, working with the gallery鈥檚 curator, Bentley Brown, a Ph.D. fellow at NYU鈥檚 Institute of Fine Arts and a multidisciplinary artist himself, is keeping an open mind toward next semester鈥檚 shows, balancing campus with local and diasporic artists. Other members of the advisory committee chaired by Malka Simon 鈥�00 include Maria Ann Conelli, Adams, Carlile, Cronin, McCoy, Christopher Richards, and Otitigbe.

鈥淭here will be the M.F.A. show in the spring, and we鈥檇 like to do something with alumni,鈥� added Hadler. 鈥淏entley is looking to do something cutting-edge, and why not? Some of the best ideas come out of college galleries.鈥�

Simon, a lecturer in art history at 可乐视频 and the managing director of the gallery, believes it will have many purposes beyond a traditional exhibition space and will operate as a venue for events and programs open to the public, including an art history lecture series.

Simon is enthusiastic about the gallery becoming a required stop for art devotees.

鈥淭he borough doesn鈥檛 end at Prospect Park,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing amazing things here in Flatbush. Hop on the train and come see us.鈥�

The gallery is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.鈥�5:30 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.鈥�3 p.m.

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A new mural graces the walls of the Film Department thanks to a collective effort of students, faculty and staff.

The second floor of the West End Building (W.E.B.) has received a major artistic facelift in the form of a mural, thanks to a new experimental art course.

While the project was the result of a longtime coordinated effort between the Art Department and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Alan Gilbert, the real stars were 13 students (12 undergraduate and one graduate) who worked with accomplished mural artist and Adjunct Professor Julia Cocuzza 鈥�11 M.F.A. as class instructor and artist Derrick Adams as a supporter and adviser. As for the new mural course (Art 3414), it will be offered in Fall 2023.

Adjunct Professor and accomplished mural artist Julia Cocuzza 鈥�11 M.F.A., who taught the experimental class that will officially be offered Fall 2023, addresses the crowd with students involved with creating the mural (left to right) Elizabeth Li, Katherine Infante, Crystal Gonzalez, Sasecie Bernard, Angela Auriti, and Nicole Harripersad.

鈥淔or a while it鈥檚 been a goal of mine to bring mural art into higher education and it feels great to do it at my graduate alma mater,鈥� Cocuzza said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of this team of student-artists and what we created as a collaborative, they rose to the challenge and really delivered. I鈥檓 also proud of the stakeholders for their consistent support and trust. We hope the entire Film community, present and future, will feel encouraged and connected by this work.鈥�

Along with Cocuzza and Adams, the project received guidance and support from a team of stakeholders including Mona Hadler, Professor of Art History and Chair of the Art Department; Annette Danto, the Department Chair of Film and Feirstein鈥檚 Graduate School of Cinema; Alan Gilbert, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration; Anthony Brown, Chief Diversity Office, as well as the Office of the President.

Annette Danto (left), Department Chair of Film and Feirstein鈥檚 Graduate School of Cinema, stands with Mona Hadler, Professor of Art History and Chair of the Art Department, during an event to celebrate its unveiling on December 14.

Hadler said the project started years ago with a conversation between her and Gilbert about how to beautify the campus. The idea of a mural course arose out of those talks, and the Film Department offered their walls for the first mural on campus planned and executed in this way.

鈥淭his new experimental mural course in the Art Department was designed to enliven the campus, build connections between departments and schools, as well as provide needed preprofessional training for art majors,鈥� Hadler said. 鈥淭his project gave students real hands-on experience through an important project that people will enjoy for years on campus.鈥�

Danto agreed that it was a perfect collaboration, livening up the Film Department space while offering students an incredible experience. The mural itself highlights the craft of film production鈥攕pecifically听 the importance of cameras, sound, and post-production in the filmmaking process.听 It was developed from both student-artists and from general feedback gathered from Film Department students, faculty, and staff.

鈥淲e had wanted to paint our walls for some time,鈥� Danto said. 鈥淎t some point Mona and I spoke, and she mentioned the Art Department had an experimental mural course that they wanted to offer. I suggested that the Film Department and our 2nd floor W.E.B. walls might be a suitable location for the mural. Everything really moved forward once Julia (Cocuzza) got on board as the instructor and leant her expertise.鈥�

Derrick Adams, an accomplished mural artist and Professor of Art who served as an advisor on the mural project, addresses the audience on December 14.

Fine Arts major Elizabeth Li worked on the mural and said it added to her passion for mural painting.

鈥淚n the beginning, the project was a challenge because we had to get our designs approved by various departments. However, once the design sketch was approved, the class instantly became my favorite,鈥� Li said. 鈥淧rofessor Cocuzza was very understanding and open to hearing our thoughts. Because of this course, I relearned how fun it is to work with others, because you share your 鈥榤istakes鈥� and combine your style with others. The chill atmosphere and collaborating through the imperfections of the creative process is what I find most addicting about mural painting. After this, I want to continue painting murals.鈥�

Adam Schrader is a B.F.A. student who also has experience as a journalist. Schrader not only helped with the painting of the mural, but was also tasked with interviewing students from the Film Department and attending departmental classes during the research phase to create a plan for the mural.

“The entire process was fascinating, and I think I have a great knowledge base to develop my own community mural in the future, from the research and design phase to what paints and materials to use,” Schrader said. “Overall, I’m very happy with how our class worked together to make a mural for our community at 可乐视频.”

Hadler said she hopes similar projects are possible in the future.

鈥淭he work is the result of a marvelous collaboration and a model for ongoing public art projects and murals that we hope will be the first of many on the campus,鈥� said Hadler.

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Derrick Adams believes that Black people should be portrayed in all their complexity as they navigate their daily lives, especially during those sometimes fleeting everyday moments not often captured in art.

鈥淲hat can I reveal that has not been shown? Black people鈥攏ot entertaining, just being, living. Letting people deal with that as reality,鈥� he says. It鈥檚 thoughts and questions like those that are at the center of his recent installation, The Modern Window: Derrick Adams, the latest in a series of site-specific installations by contemporary artists commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art and designed for the exterior window of The Modern restaurant on West 53rd Street.

Commissioned by MoMA to create an installation that 鈥渆ngages with the architecture鈥� of the Modern鈥檚 ground-floor window, Adams has built on that mandate to balance the visual narrative of Black people. In the installation, he accomplishes this by capturing a moment in time when people in late-20th-century model cars drive by two billboards advertising classics of 1990s Black cinema, Set It Off and Juice.

鈥淭he joys of cruising in a car, of seeing and being seen, and of being in a world of one鈥檚 own making, however momentary, pulse through the works,鈥� the museum鈥檚 description states. It is a moment in Black lives on an ordinary day.

Adams, who is deputy chair of the B.F.A. and co-deputy chair of the M.F.A. in Art programs, has received, among numerous accolades, a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Residency (2019) and a Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship (2018), and was inducted into the National Academy of Design in 2020. His most recent solo exhibitions include 鈥淪tyle Variations鈥� (2021) at Salon 94 in New York City; 鈥淏uoyant鈥� (2020) at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York; 鈥淲here I鈥檓 From鈥� (2019) at The Gallery in Baltimore City Hall; 鈥淭he Ins and Outs: Figures in the Urban Landscape鈥� at Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago; 鈥淣ew Icons鈥� at Mary Boone Gallery in New York; 鈥淧eople Person鈥� at Galerie Anne de Villepoix in Paris; 鈥淪anctuary鈥� (2018) at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York; and 鈥淭ransmission鈥� (2018) at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver.

Adams joins other artists such as Korakrit Arunanondchai, Hrafnhildur Arnard贸ttir, Xaviera Simmons, Mickalene Thomas, Andrea Zittel, and Firelei B谩ez, who have enlivened the Modern鈥檚 window on East 53rd Street since 2008. His work will be on view until fall 2022.

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Alumnus ‘s reaction to winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and numerous other awards for his work on the visual effects (VFX) of the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was one of sheer disbelief.

“There were a few nights where I cried in my room and thought, ‘This can’t be real!'” says Wright. “I do sometimes have a problem accepting compliments or praise. As an artist, coming out of an academic program where you become accustomed to critique, you have to adjust to the idea of your hard work paying off, being deserving of commendation, and not being suspicious of accolades.”

Yet, it is precisely Wright’s听enormous talent for the visual arts, honed as an undergraduate student in the 可乐视频 Department of Art, that makes him deserving of the acclaim his diligence has garnered him. His was part of the artistic vision that helped put a contemporary spin on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, introducing the character to a whole new generation of consumers. Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse鈥�about the exploits of an alternate universe Spider-Man named Miles Morales, an Afro-Latinx middle school student鈥攊s unlike any animated film that came before it. Inspired by the layouts, lettering, and unique coloring style of print comic books, it bursts onto the screen like a moving version of a graphic novel, with all the high-energy, imagination, “BOOMS!” and “BAMS!” one would expect of a superhero blockbuster.

“I was part of an incredible team of like-minded and motivated technical artists. Specifically, as one of the lighting and compositing technical directors, I was responsible for coloring and assembling layers of animated elements to help influence the overall look and final image that we see on the big screen,” Wright says. “Although our title is ‘technical,’ for Spider-Verse, we were artists. Our teams were given some liberty in directing and mimicking shading styles that resemble the traditional Marvel Comics universe. Small and bright halftone dots were used to represent highlights. Other times, techniques such as cross hatching and line thickness represented the darkest areas of the image. The technical leads, team supervisors, and worked in unison to present the best possible version of shots to the film’s directors.”

Wright is a third-generation artist born and raised in Brooklyn. His mother is African American, and his father, a former graffiti artist (just like Miles Morales, the main character in Into the Spider-Verse), is of Trinidadian-Venezuelan descent. Wright’s is a painter, and his is an interior designer. Though the pursuit of art is clearly generational, he did not initially imagine a career in the field.

“Even when going to Edward R. Murrow, a high school that focuses on the arts, my teachers encouraged me academically, steering me toward advanced English and science classes. I thought I would eventually become a teacher. I always looked up to my teachers; they were my heroes.”

It was Wright’s father, a Kingsborough Community College alumnus and vocal supporter of the City University of New York (CUNY) education system, who suggested he attend 可乐视频 based on its reputation for providing a rigorous curriculum taught by award-winning faculty. Wright initially took one computer science course and one art course at the college. He enjoyed them so much that he enrolled as a full-time student the following semester, majoring in studio art with minors and concentrations in Africana studies and computer science. Still, he thought he would become a photographer or a painter. He did not yet know that the merging of those first classes would catapult him on his award-winning trajectory.

While at 可乐视频, Wright became a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. The fellowship is an upper-division honors program designed to attract highly qualified minority students and others who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in a specific field and demonstrate a commitment to eradicating racial disparities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities on college faculties by helping minority students of exceptional promise to aspire to academic careers.

Wright’s participation in the fellowship led him to become a peer computer science/math tutor, one of three part-time employment positions he held while a student. He also interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a community outreach coordinator, helping younger generations understand the benefits of visiting museums via promotional cultural events. And finally, he was a cadet for the New York Police Department (NYPD) for which he received an academic scholarship.

Wright also took advantage of other available opportunities at the college, including a transformative experience in the Ghana Study Abroad Program.

“Professor Lynda Day is, hands-down, the whole reason I applied to participate in the study abroad program and also the reason I applied for the Mellon Fellowship. She’s a great counselor and constantly reminded me of the prospects available to me. She wanted me to broaden my artistic experience.”

Wright visited Kumasi, Ghana, where he got to speak with the residents and learn from them how to craft their native kente cloth. It was both a cultural and social immersion for him and an inherently political one as he recognized his privileges as an American visiting a space outside of his frame of reference. Still, he was welcomed.

“A kid off the street named Armstrong called out to me kindly: ‘What are you here for, brother?’ And I told him that I wanted to weave kente cloth. And he said: ‘I’m going to take you to my village.’ And from that moment, the trip changed,” Wright remembers. “With Professor Day’s permission, I diverted from the program’s scheduled stop at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and went to Armstrong’s village. We ate food together in his customary way, without utensils, using just our fingers. And after we ate, he took me to a place to weave kente.”

This experience sparked his sense of adventure and his realization that his artistic talents were borderless and could take him around the globe.

“I remember Tyquane as one of the big talents in the college’s art program at the time,” says Professor of Art Ronaldo Kiel. He was energetic and not afraid of doing extra work. In an independent study project with me, he was the first student I had to present a fully animated character in a dance sequence. I have taught computer art at the college since the early 2000s, and I was certain that Tyquane would make a mark in this highly competitive field.”

After graduating from 可乐视频 cum laude with a B.F.A., Wright attended New York University (NYU), where he received his master of science in digital imaging. He spent some time as a freelance digital artist, working on various independent projects, including the “When I See U” music video for American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, then served as technical director of lighting at Rising Sun Pictures in Adelaide, Australia. Wright scored a position at Sony Imageworks when a recruiter came across his thesis film online and sent him an e-mail. Wright has been at Sony since 2009, and is currently senior look development technical director, operating out of Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Opportunities often fell into my lap simply by me sharing the best versions of my homework,” Wright says. “I always gave 100% to my class assignments. I treated homework as if I was delivering work to a client.”

Wright has no plans to rest on his laurels. He is already hard at work on another highly anticipated Sony film, Spider-Man: Far From Home. He believes the key to his success has been in being open to the possibilities. Additionally, he is a mentor to other up-and-coming artists in the industry and is always happy to assists those in need of his talents. Not too long ago, he returned to the campus to听lend his experience and expertise听to the Black and Latino Male Initiative (BLMI), an academic support program designed to increase the graduation and retention rates of black, Latino, and other historically underrepresented male students enrolled at 可乐视频. He believes giving back is essential to achievement, and that there were many whose mentorship and interest was central to his own accomplishments, including 可乐视频 faculty members Day, Kiel, William T. Williams (emeritus), and others.

“I did not plan to work on animated feature films. My interest was in traditional photography or painting. I knew I loved computer graphics and art. So before graduating from 可乐视频 and NYU, I met countless people who shaped my career within that industry,” he says. “Possibilities will open up by making genuine connections with those who have similar passions. Eventually, it will lead to great things. Oh, and one more thing: Always be generous and thankful to all those you encounter along the way!”

可乐视频 is able to provide students with the rigorous education and artistic experiences that allow them to become the leaders in local and global communities and sought-after experts in their fields just like Tyquane Wright thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends received through the 可乐视频 Foundation. To learn about the various ways to contribute to student success, please visit the foundation website.

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