Graduate Students

Personal Statement: My process is an appreciation for the historical context of contemporary social issues. My art invites viewers to examine socio-political challenge, encourages critical reflection, and explores the historical trajectory of these issues. In addition, I seamlessly integrate traditional printmaking with modern technology. This synergy demonstrates both the historical root of printmaking as a powerful political tool as well as the complexities and opportunities presented by technology. I use technology judiciously as an effective medium of artistic expression, while also recognizing its potential to both address social problems and encroach upon individual freedoms.

At the same time, my artistic path is a fusion of political awareness, historical acumen, and technological ingenuity. This multifaceted approach enables me to make contemporary art that challenges dominant narratives and, at the same time, amplifies voices that are often silenced. Ultimately, I want to provoke reflection, inspire dialog, and encourage action through my artwork. By interweaving threads of politics, history, and technology, I hope to create a form of visual expression that resonates with the spirit of the times and leaves a lasting impression on those who engage with it. Through my work, I hope to provide a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between society, history, and technology, while celebrating the enduring resilience and stories of the everyday individuals who shape our world.

Personal Statement: I studied printmaking at Luxun Academy of Fine Arts for my undergraduate degree in China. My works are deeply rooted in my personal experiences, and I enjoy using art as a medium to express the relationships between different elements. Through my creative practice, I aim to convey the connections and interactions that I have experienced.

Personal Statement: Within the trajectory of my artistic exploration, the realm of visual representation has invariably constituted my inaugural point of ingress. In its nascent stages, my creative oeuvre inclined towards superficial expression as a means to convey personalized perceptions. Nevertheless, as temporal progression has unfurled its tapestry, I have undergone a gradual metamorphosis, evolving from the mere portrayal of visual stimuli to the articulation of abstract concepts. This transition has led to the expansion of my individualized perceptions into the broader arena of public consciousness.

Perception, in its multifaceted manifestations, occupies a paramount role within the crucible of my creative process. The senses, encompassing touch, vision, audition, and olfaction, serve as propellants, impelling me to confront not only the innermost recesses of my psyche but also the societal milieu, thereby engendering a fortified nexus with the world at large. In the act of creative genesis, I initially externalize my self-awareness, subsequently embarking on the enunciation of my expressive cognizance. Consequently, my primary focus gravitates towards an assiduous exploration and a holistic assimilation of the external milieu. I hold interpersonal interactions and connections as the fundamental pillars upon which my creative edifice is erected, assuming the mantle of an intermediary, effecting a symbiotic connection between disparate individuals. In the panorama of my artistic compositions, I proffer a reinterpretation of self-awareness, diligently striving to orchestrate a harmonious interplay among variegated individuals, all the while navigating the intricate contours of cognitive transformation.

Personal Statement: Through exploration of Catholic iconography, queer history, and self image, my work seeks to reconcile religious and childhood trauma. Having distanced myself from organized religion, I've been on a years-long journey to cultivate a spirituality that revolves around my own selfhood. This exploration has materialized in my recent artwork, where I delve into the intersection of sexuality and the residual effects of religious guilt. Recognizing how queer affinity can serve as a conduit for spirituality and a catalyst for creative expression, I’ve forged intimate and platonic relationships with the people in my community. The confidence, compassion, and connection I have received through these bonds have unearthed facets of myself that were previously buried beneath years of shame. Embracing a new, confident identity as a sacred slut, I've found a sense of holiness and purpose that my Catholic upbringing failed to instill. Articulating this revelation through my interdisciplinary work has not only provided me with a unique, other spirituality but has also allowed me to dedicate my creative pursuits to self-discovery and the higher powers inherent in my synthesized cult of self.

Originally hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Alex Blom’s (he/they) studio practice centers on his queerness and spirituality. Blom holds a BA in Studio Art with minors in Art History and Business Administration from the University of Denver (‘23). At DU, he was a four-year NCAA Division I swimmer. After graduation, Blom served on the Media and Marketing Committee for Mo’Print Colorado and completed the Create Award Residency at Art Gym Denver. 

Kelsie Hogle was born and raised in Ohio. She graduated SAIC with a BFA in painting and printmaking. 

Personal Statement: I am a conceptual artist focusing on the production of ephemera. By engaging an interdisciplinary approach, my work investigates nostalgia through print media combined with sculpture, performance, and installation.

I communicate and translate personal stories and memories through formalized prints as a form of archiving. Through play and experimentation in color and material my work arrives through questions that explore our relationship with the everyday experience.

Working with memory helps navigate the painful reality of growing old and losing one's memory. By creating pieces as an extension of those memories it helps to immortalize them to never be lost; to then be able to let go of the narrative of once was and what will be.

Personal Statement: I am a Chicago-based print maker, and my work is founded on examining the city with two objectives: to discern the larger forces at work and examine their impact on me and my fellow citizens; and to examine the tiny role me and my relatives have played/are playing in shaping the city during a century of living here.

At the moment my favorite mediums are relief, screen, lithography, and metal point. I use materials found around the city as substrate whenever possible, and spend a lot of time contemplating the impact and evolution of 20th century commercial design.

Emma Difani (she/her) is a visual artist working primarily in printmaking and installation. She received a BFA in Printmaking from the University of New Mexico and has exhibited prints and drawings throughout the US. She is a member of the Factory Obscura art collective and co-founder of Connect:Collect, an annual international print exchange. Appreciation of materials and collaboration guide her process. Her work uses the obsessive layering of printmaking to explore connection and the complex relationships between the natural and constructed environments.

Yan Wang (she/her) is an artist and printmaker from Beijing, China, currently based in Chicago, IL. Yan's works assemble images that embody the monochromatic and metaphorical qualities of childhood memories, and the female experience of growing up in China. She turns prints into sequential animated films, utilizing the textures created by printmaking approaches. 

She has experience in various print mediums including silkscreen, monotype, lithograph, relief, etching with aquatint, and drypoint printing.

Outside the framework of traditional printmaking, Yan Wang is also experienced in crafts such as ceramics and book-binding. She is currently exploring interdisciplinary possibilities through concepts closely associated with social political feminism.

Talia Tacy (they/she) is a printmaker and painter from Salt Lake City, Utah. They completed their BFA in Painting and Drawing at the University of Utah, with minors in Sculpture and Book Arts. Prior to beginning their MFA, they studied printmaking with Karen Kunc at Constellation Studios in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their favorite things in life include: getting to know new people, taking 15-minute midday naps, cooking large meals for good friends, and eating watermelon directly out of the rind with a spoon. 

Laura Bejarano (they/them/theirs) (b. 1995, Ibague, Colombia) uses their practice to explore self-identity, the human experience, and the makings of the universe through a queer immigrant lens. Their process-based work uses gouache, colored pencil, graphite, and printmaking techniques such as copper plate etching, dry point, and relief. Using a combination of abstraction, line work, and color-layering, Bejarano creates multidimensional spacescapes that aim to draw the viewer into an existential dialogue. They received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2017.

Bejarano has completed residencies at Second State Press and 1817 Studio C in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, Maryland. They have taught workshops at the Smithsonian Postal Museum, the University of Delaware, the Maryland Multicultural Youth Center, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, and with I Learn America. Their work has been shown around Atlanta at MOCA GA, HiLo Press, Mint Gallery, in Los Angeles at Lei Min Space, and in Philadelphia at Ice Box Gallery. Laura currently lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.

Personal Statement: My work is defined by personal reflection, contemplation, and intimacy. Through personified and stylized self-portraiture, I capture what it feels like to be in my body or mind. As I reflect on moments in my life, I question ideas of self, individual experience, femininity, and painting. I create figurative work on all scales, from small watercolor portraits to large acrylic figurative canvases. My work often depicts a singular figure, myself, in a cropped and condensed composition, reflecting my life experience or the human experience. My practice reflects how I navigate the world as a young painter, woman, and person. Drawing on my personal experience, I aim to address a broader human condition.

Personal Statement: By intertwining philosophical perspectives, I strive to create works that invite diverse interpretations. My inspirations center on three key themes: reincarnation, mythology, and Korean identity. Reincarnation, representing the cyclical nature of life and death, informs my belief that existence continues beyond apparent endings. This concept of interconnectedness invites viewers to imagine what comes “next.”

Mythology and superstition enrich my narratives by connecting universal emotions across cultures. Through myth, viewers can relate personal stories to my work and navigate familiar archetypes. Living in the US has deepened my connection to my Korean heritage, allowing me to reflect on the contrasts between East and West, tradition and modernity. I incorporate Korean colors and patterns in two-dimensional works and explore space and form through immersive installations.

Ultimately, I aim to create meaningful, accessible art that bridges personal identity with broader cultural themes. I hope to grow as both an artist and educator, exploring the role of art in addressing social issues and fostering global connections.

Personal Statement: I am fascinated by opportunities where language fails and emotion lingers on the edge of articulation. My work spans publication design, printmaking, animation, photography, and craft, yet each medium is united by the same guiding impulse: to create clever objects with soul. How can form carry feeling? I’m drawn to the tension between expression and hesitation—the space where language begins and where it falls short. 
 

Colombian visual artist based in Chicago, Illinois. MFA Printmedia student and leadership member of the Print Club at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Graduated with honors from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia. Founder of Sere Breve Student Group at PUJ. Poet, printmaker and letterpress specialist. Creator of a Movable Type Letterpress system. Independent movable type educator. Letterpress workshops and demonstrations organizer. Arts educator and mediator. Intern at Galeria Santa Fe, participated in educational activities for marginalized communities and populations. Contemporary artist and researcher interested in decoloniality, social justice, and collective liberation. Street artist interested in displaying the poetical language in the urban space. Fine artist interested in the encounter of a variety of materials with a multiplicity of artmaking tools and techniques. Admission tests assistant, research assistant, and assistant to the Professors Seminar at PUJ. Graduate assistant in the Department of Art Education and graduate student ambassador in Graduate Admissions at SAIC. Collective artmaking enthusiast. Making voices visible with movable types. Accomplishments: SAIC, New Artist Society Award Scholarship, 2025; SAIC, John H. Bryan Graduate Merit Fellowship, 2024; Academic Excellence Scholarship, Ideaborn Arts Contest, 2021; PUJ, Orden al Mérito Académico Javeriano, 2018.

Personal Statement: Growing up as an anxious child, I have struggled with feeling unwanted intense emotions. I felt the need to hide my emotions, channeling self-resentment instead. I have learned that vulnerability is what connects us and that being honest with ourselves and how we feel is healing. Depicting susceptibility and struggle in my work is my tool towards communication and connection.

I aim to illuminate the profound beauty that can emerge from the unfiltered human experience. Through the use of animal and human figures in expressive compositions, I draw on emotions such as isolation, fear, and anxiety while simultaneously inspiring comfort and resilience. I have always found absurdity in hiding our true selves in order to conform to society standards. Animals, dogs in particular, inspire me by their true reactions and honest nature. Animals do not lie. They act instinctually, without worry as to how they will “look.” However, similarly to our unwelcome emotions, their reactivity is often looked at negatively and is often misunderstood. There is no black and white; there is always duality. By structuring my works around these ideas, I aim to instill resilience in the viewer as they have in myself.

Personal Statement: Through my work, I explore connections between memory’s impact on identity and the blurring of truth and perception. My own lack of episodic memory served as the catalyst for my interest, but studies show that memory is unreliable for everyone. Each time we recall a memory, that memory is changed. If we cannot check our memory against a “true” account of the past, how do we determine truth?

Much of my work is photo-based as photographs are typically treated like ultimate truth, but I often find myself looking at photographs from my past and those belonging to strangers with the same feelings of nostalgia and familiarity. Within my artistic practice, I spend much of my time pushing the boundaries between authorship and ownership of memories and then presenting the images as Schrödinger's memories: each memory is both mine and not mine, genuine and false.

While I often begin with photographs, my primary artistic interventions occur through printmaking processes to further explore the alteration of reality through memory and multiplicity. My intention in creating works that blur the lines of my former reality is to curate my present through the manipulation of my perception. We are who we remember being, so who can I become if I change my memory?

Personal Statement: I am a queer woman using art as a way to explore and understand my relationships with myself, others, and society. I create in an intuitive manner, often reflecting on a given experience or interaction, and then translating various facets of it into a visual format. I engage with a variety of interdisciplinary methods and practices, including printmaking, painting, photography, collage, and installation, depending upon the work itself. Referencing personal archive, art history, popular culture, queer iconography, and “universal symbols,” I hope my works communicate messages of resilience, rebellion, and empathy. 

Personal Statement: My childhood was fragmented because of my father’s work. When I was 12, we left Atlanta, Georgia for Dhaka, Bangladesh. Three years later we moved to Manila, Philippines. I have had the sense of passing through others’ lives and worlds, though never quite having a place of my own. But as poet Edmond Jabés said, “You are never really anywhere, because everywhere you go you have brought all the places you have left with you.” 

My love for printmaking feels related to this sense of my personal past. In printmaking, you have the capacity to repeat an image, and thus the capacity to bring it into various mediums, like paper or muslin. As such, the same image can move fluidly from home to home. 

Personal Statement: I come from the state of Indiana. Indiana is a significant part of my life because I was born and raised there. Through my experiences of going through academia in my home state, I have been interested in the history of certain places like Gary, Bloomington, Martinsville, and more places. Previous places like those include historical figures like Richard Hatcher, Herman C. Hudson, and other lesser known figures in the history of the Hoosier state.

I had no idea that there was a lot of Black history in Bloomington where my alma mater resides, and that telling of the past inspired me to want to tell the stories of lesser known figures, and places through my art. There was the Secret Game of 1944, the story of Terrel Peterson, and just as many histories that are not as well known by the public—me included.

The main goal of my artwork is to tell the stories of these complicated pasts, because I believe that the past informs our current, contemporary world. With printmaking you can take a lot of liberties when making works of art, and you can use a variety of techniques to convey storytelling. Screenprinting is the technique that I am the most fond of when using that particular medium. I intend to show certain people, and iconographies associated with those people and places.

Mars (they/them) is a nonbinary printmaker, a part-time cartoonist, and a full-time menace. They love exploring how the limitations of print create unique forms of mark-making in the margins of error, and image as narrative. They recently escaped from containment in Ohio.