BFA Thesis Exhibition Highlights Dazzling Work by Graduating Seniors in School of Visual Arts
Four painting, sculpture, printmaking, and graphic design students talk about their projects
BFA Thesis Exhibition Highlights Dazzling Work by Graduating Seniors in School of Visual Arts
Four painting, sculpture, printmaking, and graphic design students talk about their projects
Each year, graduating seniors in the College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts’ painting, printmaking, sculpture, and graphic design programs take part in a group exhibition showcasing their thesis projects that represent the culmination of four years of hard work.
This year’s BFA thesis exhibition, on view at the 808 Gallery through May 9, features pieces by 37 students—21 majoring in graphic design, 11 in painting, 3 in sculpture, and 3 in printmaking. Their virtuosic work is a testament to their creativity, their mastery of different mediums, and the singular view that each brings to their art.
We asked four graduating BFA students to talk about their thesis projects. Read on to see what they have to say. And be sure to stop by the 808 Gallery to view the artwork of this year’s graduating seniors.
Mackenzie Jutras (CFA’26), BFA in painting
What was your inspiration for your thesis project?
This is a portrait of my friend, Mary Haddad. I always paint women, and I feel particularly connected and tender toward this piece, because this is someone I love and care about so much, and someone who has affected me so deeply. I’m really aware of where I’m showing my work and who will be seeing it, and I think that’s something that we talk about, but we never really get to play with; this is an opportunity for me to use art in the way I’ve been wanting to use it. You’re saying something with any kind of art that you make, whether it be a painting or drawing, anything—and I want to be really intentional about what I’m saying and whom I’m saying it to.
What materials did you use?
Canvas and a lot of gesso. I like to create a really complicated surface. Some artists like to sand it and make it super flat, but I just throw on a bunch of thick layers and go for it. I want the surface to fight me back.
What do you hope viewers take away from your work?
I want the viewers to know that this is someone who has so much love coming from her and toward her. I wanted the portrait to be strong and direct. I want her to look at the viewer, almost challenge them, so they take away that this is someone who has strength and power.
Truck Schachtman (CFA’26), BFA in printmaking
What was your inspiration for your thesis project?
I am kind of obsessed with the masculine body. I’m really interested in muscle and figure and curvature. I started as a figurative painter, and I took anatomy for the artist last semester, so I got to look at the actual buildup of how people are made and constructed. People are probably my favorite thing to draw and paint. So it felt natural to translate that to look at more moments where bodies are twisting and conversing with each other in a strange and warped way. Right now, I’m focusing on moments of connection and moments of stillness in the midst of violence—moments like mid-punch and mid-grapple, when bodies are connecting in their most physical way.
What materials did you use?
Crayon, tusche, and Rives BFK paper
What do you hope viewers take away from your work?
I hope they’re willing to sit with it and look at it not just as an art piece, but also as an expression of emotion and physicality. I like using a lot of blacks. All of my work is going to be black-and-white, except for the monotypes I’m putting over them. So there’s a lot of darkness that is hopefully going to translate as very rich and very evocative. I want people to get lost in my prints.
Nathan Arteaga (CFA’26), BFA in sculpture
What was your inspiration for your thesis project?
It pulls from very specific and violent moments that I’ve become acutely aware of in my everyday life—things that might not necessarily be perceived as violence, but still kind of affect the body. Anything that makes me aware of my existence and the fragility of my body is my biggest inspiration.
What materials did you use?
I’ve used synthetic hair, ribbon, wood, wood stain, screws. I use a lot of found materials, because they’re easily accessible. I like there to be some sort of accessibility within my work, in terms of what it is that you’re actually seeing, because I think sometimes my work isn’t the easiest to read.
What do you hope viewers take away from your work?
One of my biggest influences when it comes to making art is a collection of essays by Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation. In these essays, she talks about how, when viewing art, we need to spend less time trying to interpret the actual work, and more time understanding our experiences with the work. And I think that has become a point in my practice, of not wanting my work to be understood, because I think that that’s for me to understand. Once it leaves my studio, once it’s on public display, it is no longer mine. I want viewers to be able to reflect on their own interpretations and experiences with the piece.
Rye “Brian” Liu (CFA’26), BFA in graphic design
What was your inspiration for your thesis project?
My work explores the systems we build within our everyday lives—routines, habits, and small patterns that often go unnoticed, but shape how we move through the world. This project developed through a branding lens, starting with logo design inspired by fluid and symmetrical forms. I created a series of identities based on the anatomy of a jellyfish. “Bell” represents structure and routine, while “Nema,” derived from the stinging cells, represents protection and response. Combined as “Bellum,” they reflect unpredictability, showing how even within similar structures, people experience and act in their own distinct ways.
I was heavily inspired by fashion and branding, along with fine art and natural forms like jellyfish. I am especially drawn to the work of Yoshitomo Nara, who creates childlike figures that feel playful at first, but often carry deeper and sometimes confrontational meanings. I’m interested in that contrast, where something can feel light or familiar while still holding more complex ideas underneath.
What materials did you use?
I used silicone, felt, steel, thread, paper, and acetate.
What do you hope viewers take away from your work?
I want viewers to have an immediate sense of curiosity and enjoyment, especially through the colors and playful forms. Rather than directing a specific interpretation, I hope the work feels familiar in some way and encourages people to make their own connections. Whether that comes from recognizing references, materials, or emotions, the goal is for the experience to feel personal and open-ended.
The BFA graphic design, painting, printmaking, and sculpture thesis exhibition is on view at the 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave., through May 9. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. There will be an opening reception for the show on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 7 pm at the 808 Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.