BFA Thesis Exhibition - Spring 2024
May 2 - 11, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, May. 2, 4 - 6 pm
The University of Massachusetts Department of Art is pleased to announce the Spring 2024 BFA Thesis Exhibition to be held at Herter Art Gallery.
Alzariah DeLouchrey
Shane Fontaine
Ian Hunt
Lafayette Herard
TJ LaLonde
Morgan O'Blenis
Isabella Paterson
Iliana Rivera
Heeju Yoo
Anyi Zhao
- Alzariah DeLouchrey
Exhibition title: Bodyessy
"My art serves as different ways to tackle the taboos. Molding clay and various materials with my hands, I sculpt conversations around sexual ethics, body positivity, and the spectrum of human emotions. My creations are invitations to explore, to question, and to celebrate the diversity of our experiences with warmth and openness."
Bio: As a mixed bisexual woman, my journey through life has been rich with color and complexity. High school is where my passion for art took shape, leading me to a collegiate path where a sexual ethics course ignited my fascination with Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Today, I continue to marry my dual passions by crafting interactive art that educates, engages, and creates conversations around our bodies and desires. Through my work, I strive to normalize and celebrate the very essence of our being, encouraging a dialogue of acceptance and love.
@Alzariahxox
- Ian Hunt
Exhibition title: Hotheads
"Having been passionate about animation for over a decade and with aspirations to break into the entertainment industry, “Hotheads” acts as a culmination of everything I’ve learned over my collegiate artistic career. The short film, based in the mockumentary genre, is a satirical reflection of my time at a private all-boys catholic high school. I seek to provide the audience a glimpse into the absurdity of the all-boys religious environment and hopefully, initiate a dialogue concerning a potential origin of the misogyny we see in the modern day."
Bio:
○ Ian Hunt (he/him)
○ BFA in Animation
○ 23 Years Old
○ Millis, Massachusetts
@ian_hun44
- Lafayette Herard
Exhibition title: Reclaim
Reclaim is a 2D Animation that portrays the culture and history that the capitalist system, controlled by 1st world nations and the 1%, have taken from black countries. The story of the project follows Lucille and her attempt to take back a stolen piece of her homeland by sneaking into the treasure vault it's stored within. The stolen property she aims to retrieve is the sugarcane plant that was removed from her country. This animation speaks on the greed and thievery that countries such as the U.S. and France have shown to Caribbean and African countries. As well as how those first world countries and modern-day businesses view people’s lives and homelands as insignificant compared to the profit they can make off selling their culture and livelihood. With Reclaim, the goal of this project is to spread awareness about the current state of Haiti and also to remind viewers the connections between colonialism, and modern day capitalism. Through the iconography in my background art and the behavior of my character's actions, I want you to reflect on the imagery you see within this story and to think about how shameless the people and countries in positions of power have been in the past and today with their blatant acts of exploitation and destruction-all for the sole purpose of obtaining more money.
Bio: Lafayette Herard, is a 2D animator and illustrator who focuses on character design and character animation. He was born and raised Brockton, Massachusetts, but is now currently based in Raynham MA. During the summer of 2023 he was a animation and illustration intern at Open Pixel Studios. For his time there he practiced creating character design work and effects animation work.
To create a successful character design he finds that it’s important to explore and bring intent to the design of the character’s silhouette, color palette, and relatability. Being Haitian American he seeks to design stories that revolve around black characters leading their own narratives, and overcoming their own challenges. As a child “artist” growing up in the late 2000s he would practice art by copying the characters he would see on his tv. During the late 2000’s and early 2010’s however most cartoon and anime on air had non black character casts. As a result of this, over the years he learned the importance of representation in media as his lack of exposure to character diversity was reflected in his art during his youth. Lafayette’s goal with his work is to help dismantle the white-centered character cast you often see in animation and to offer alternate stories featuring black characters with memorable personalities and designs.
@lafatsyu
- TJ LaLonde
Exhibition title: Daily Special
“Daily Special” is a three-dimensional model of a classic American diner bathed in early morning light. This animation aims to explore a balance between specificity of story and universality of place, recalling specific tropes and nostalgias while introducing a unique world for the viewer to experience.
Bio: TJ LaLonde is a BFA student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying art and animation.
@tlalonde456
Portfolio website: www.tlalonde.myportfolio.com
- Isabella Paterson
Exhibition title: Veriditas
"In Veriditas, the search for form and meaning has become the artwork itself. This process, that of creating, is like a form of life, producing new artworks that derive their beings from the nature of the process. Through listening to how my materials respond, and how I respond to them, I arrive at pieces that demonstrate my lived experiences in the form of artmaking. The patient and appreciative nature of seeking knowledge through observation, the hesitation and doubt that come with starting and creating something, and the growth of myself and the materials, all have a direct impact on the visual outcome of the work. It is an appreciation for the emergence and connectedness of all life, an investigation into the unknown. Look at the abstract forms and something familiar emerges. Be patient, look for longer, and something unfamiliar emerges, and this is where we find the answers to these unknowns, answers we cannot put into words.
Bio: I am a current UMass senior completing my BFA, with hopes of continuing my art practice into the future. I have moved around a lot in my life but have always lived in more rural areas, so I am mainly inspired by nature and my own experiences with the natural world. I tend to not focus on one material at once, rather what is most available to me in terms of sustainability and concept.
@iptrsnart
- Anyi Zhao
Exhibition title: Moments in Life
"Through painting, I explore my personal history and find new ways to connect to the world around me. I am most inspired by the memories of moments in my life. These are often small and insignificant in the moment, a falling leaf, a footprint. These memories form connections for me, which I visualize in my work. They are both a way for me to situate myself in the world, while also through their accumulation, forming emotional and personal expressions of self. Color is the main tool that I employ to help me communicate the connections I want to draw. It is universally understood that color can have different meanings and associations, based on cultural but also personal histories. My memories are triggered by color. When thinking about my recent trip to Puerto Rico, the warm tones of yellow, orange, and purple are my first associations. Even though some of my work is abstract, the color is specific to a time and place in my life. Through color, I am hoping to draw connections between my memories and the perception of the viewer. In the future, I am hoping to deepen my understanding of my artistic process, in particular color, while also expanding my work to different mediums and concepts. Art for me is a tool to talk to myself, it builds a connection between me and my environment, it helps me bring my spiritual world into the physical world, and my art becomes the proof of my existence."
Bio: My name is Anyi Zhao, I explore personal history and connection through art. Memories are always my topic, inspired by fleeting moments, I use color to evoke memories and build connections with viewers. Art is both a way for me to situate myself in the world, while also through the accumulation, forming emotional and personal expressions of self.
@annaartpiecess
This event was made possible with generous support from the UMass Fine Arts Council.
Gallery Hours:
Mon – Fri: 11 AM – 4 PM
Sat: 1 PM – 4 PM
(Closed on Sundays and state holidays)