LBCC hosted a student-led art show in the campus art gallery on the Liberal Arts Campus from Aug. 15 to Sept. 3, showcasing a collection of their experimental and expressive artwork.
Bianca Berrios, Hannah Justesen, David Julia Castro and Anna Azarov knew each other from previous classes, so when they were presented with the opportunity to put on an exhibition, all four were interested.
Each of the four students brought their own style and perspective to the exhibition, resulting in a variety of expressive and unconventional artwork.
“It is the best kind of disturbing,” said viewer Sophia Martinez while viewing Berrios’ art.
When asked about her biggest inspirations, Berrios said she draws from artists such as Frida Kahlo and Tracy Emin.
Frida Kahlo is known for expressing physical and emotional pain through her paintings, and Berrios said she uses her own artwork to confront similar experiences.
Berrios said when she was younger, she dealt with serious suicidal thoughts and urges and that she combatted them by making those feelings real through painting instead of acting on them in real life.
In her piece, “Resting in Peace,” Berrios depicts herself in a coffin. Berrios said the piece represents the death of her younger and troubled self.
In “Eulogy,” Berrios writes, “today this girl is dead, I must mourn this part of myself so that I can move forward and grow into something new.”
For her pieces, Hannah Justesen began trying to “interpret overthinking and anxiety” through expression and literal translations of classic idioms.
Hannah Justesen talks to a visitor about her photographs at the LBCC art gallery on Sept. 3. (Tobin Ortiz-McLendon)
One of her pieces called “Languishing,” was inspired by the idiom “to put your foot in your mouth.”
The piece is made mostly of fabric stitched onto the canvas and depicts Justesen consuming herself, with her body folding in on itself and biting.
For David Julia Castro, their inspiration came through their sexuality, “queerness… finding it in a variety of places.”
Castro said they like to have their art show the body observed in “desperate and uncomfortable positions.”
Their art process is through photography of themself, and using that as reference for oil paintings.
The final artist was Anna Azarov whos collection “Shadow Self,” focused on the body and emotion.
A piece from Anna Azarov’s collection booklet called “Shadow Self”, on display at the LBCC Art Gallery on Sept. 3. (Tobin Ortiz-McLendon)
According to the description on her website, the series explores shadows, dreams, abstractions and emotional states connected to the human form.
The photography was abstract and colorful, featuring silhouettes of subjects, and was printed on diaphanous fabric, creating a flowy and ethereal effect.
According to the campus gallery manager Karla Aguiñiga, the show was originally scheduled to take place at a downtown gallery, but the venue canceled, prompting a move to campus.
Aguiñiga normally handles setup and coordination with artists, however this time everything including light setup and art installation was completed by the four students.
“It was nice to have a show where students had their own exhibit,” Aguiñiga said, and that student-led exhibitions were rare for these sorts of art shows.
The next show at the LBCC art gallery starts Sept. 17, and is open until Oct. 24.
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