The artistic diversity of the student body was displayed at the annual student art exhibit reception May 14, which featured a colorful array of paintings, photographs, ceramics, clay sculptures and jewelry.
An oil painting by Raquel Martinez (number 43) of two women sitting on yellow chairs with a forest surrounding them, a necklace of a human heart painted around their necks and a bubble like shape around their heads, brought up questions in some visitors’ minds.
Taylor Keyte, 23, business major, wondered about the bubbles around their heads, “are they there to protect them? Or is it because they feel trapped?”
Visitors enjoyed “Tree Women” (number 41), a charcoal piece by Linda Rodriguez, 30, art major.
It’s a painting with three female figures blended into trees, one stands on the left side leaning to the right, the hair turns into branches as does the arm.
“I love the figures on the tree, it humanizes the tree,” said Keyte as he viewed the piece.
Ryan Gold, 18, a computer science major, said it was his favorite piece in the exhibition, “I like that you can see the human figure in the tree, it blends well.”
Rodriguez found the inspiration of her paintings (numbers 40 through 43) from femininity and nature. She finds her paintings to be a reflection of women and what they go through.
Roger Dickes, gallery art director and animation instructor has been putting the event together for three years.
“It’s very Zen,” said Susan Sing, a drawing and design instructor about “Roots,” a ceramics piece by her former student Aska Tsuzuki, 28, ceramics major.
Sing enjoys attending the exhibits, “I get to see my students evolve into artists.”
Tsuzuki used a technique in her ceramics piece called waku flowering. Roots and trees are seen in her piece, and she explained her inspiration for the piece.
“Each person has their own roots,” Tsuzuki said looking at her piece, “it’s about knowing yourself.”
Four faculty members from the art department choose the students whose work would appear and each student had three pieces displayed.
David Yamamoto, a photography instructor, was one of the teachers who chose the student work to be displayed.
Works (numbers 23 through 25) by Jay Oligny, 18, were among the photographs selected by Yamamoto.
One of Oligny’s pieces is a black-and-white photograph of the Americana at Brand under construction.
Dawn Lindsay, vice president of instruction, attended the exhibit, and said “it’s amazing, and it reflects the diversity of the students.”
The exhibit in the gallery of the library building is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. through June 6. Admission is free and open to the public.
If interested in purchasing any pieces, or for more information, contact Dickes at [email protected] or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.