Six New Mexico State University undergraduate students will present their work in the 2024 BFA Exhibition.
“Truly, Lovingly, Viciously” will run from April 25 to May 11 in the Mullennix Bridge Art Gallery in Devasthali Hall and features work from undergraduate art students Reyes Chavez, Ace Gabrentina, Pamela Herrera-De Los Santos, Eleazar Maslian, Thaddeus McRae and Trisha Quintero.
“The BFA Exhibition reflects everything they have done throughout these years of their degree at NMSU,” said assistant professor of art Motoko Furuhashi. “They worked hard to develop their ideas, understand how to articulate and communicate to the public and developed a fine level of technical skills.”
An artist panel talk with the BFA students will begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25 at the Bleachers in Devasthali Hall. At the panel talk, students will discuss their work and the inspiration behind it. The BFA Exhibition will wrap up with a closing reception at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9. Both events are free and open to the public.
A diverse range of concepts frame the exhibition’s six students’ work.
“My work delves into the complexities and contradictions of faith and religion amidst the chaos of our modern existence,” said McRae of his sculptural ceramics and painted works. “I think it is important to find hope between these two worlds, in their clash and overlap. The aim for my artworks is to foster introspection, encouraging resilience and understanding.”
“My work is primarily inspired by my current pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and the hurdles we face when changing our habits that we have become accustomed to,” Quintero said. “I've had to reflect upon my own relationships with food and fitness, as well as the amount of influence many outside sources had on it.”
Gabrentina and Maslian each reflected on their Filipino identities when thinking about their thesis works.
“My art is important to me because growing up in the Philippines, Filipino pride is a big part of our culture,” Gabrentina said. “When I moved to the US, it was hard for me to connect to that part of my culture. I resented my Filipino identity because there was little Filipino and Asian representation in media. I want to make art that perpetuates Filipino excellence, and art that I would be proud of.”
“My artwork is a catalyst for communicating my own identity, having an artwork that can express a lost history between the Philippines and the United States of America,” Maslian said. “With research and personal connection, my art pieces feel like a bridge between old knowledge uncovered in depicting perspective. My artwork has been a lens between the experiences of living the American dream and the Filipino identity.”
As a first-generation Mexican American woman, Herrera-De Los Santos also uses her work to reflect on her identity.
“I am glad to portray my cultural influences in my work through Mexican color iconography and cultural symbols,” Herrera-De Los Santos said. “My work is crucial to my identity, as I delve into the internal and external struggles of Mexican migrants while paying homage to my family's culture and history.”
Personal stories and explored identities are integral to the works presented in this show, but the students hope the artworks have a larger impact on those who see their own experiences reflected back to them.
“With my work being so personal, I hope to try and reach a larger audience to be able to start a conversation of the effects of childhood trauma in adults,” Chavez said. “It’s a goal of mine to have a reflection of my experiences become a lasting message that could make a significant impact.”
“This is a great way to showcase their accomplishment, and also an exciting opening for a new chapter of their creative lives,” Furuhashi added. “This opportunity gives them a solid public viewing and gallery talk, which could lead to other professional opportunities.”
Visit uam.nmsu.edu for more information on the artists and the exhibition. Follow @nmsuartmuseum on Instagram for closer looks at the art displayed. The UAM is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday on 1308 E. University Ave.
-30-
CUTLINE: “WHO” by Reyes Chavez, one of the six student artists exhibiting their work in the BFA exhibition open until May 11 in the Mullennix Bridge Art Gallery in Devasthali Hall. (Courtesy photo)