Art Show: Stacy, Chidinma, & Julia

From February 22 to March 3, the Class of 2023 artist series showcased artwork from Stacy Yurkovskaya ’23, Chidinma Esielem ’23, and Julia Bao ’23 in the Tremaine Art Center. Their art show reception was on February 28 in the Lee Roberts ’74 Gallery.

Stacy has been fascinated by art since she was child. When she was seven she felt it was a way to express the ideas that came into her head, no matter how abstract. When she was ten her fascination shifted to outer space and alternate worlds. Following that, she said, “I then explored realism so that my paintings would more accurately reflect my vision. However, in 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian war started, and I found myself conveying the horrors abstractly. I now appreciate how realism guides abstraction and vice versa, and how seemingly disparate ideas, beliefs, and traditions inform each other to create a synergistic whole.” While she does not plan to major in art in college, she said, “I do want to pursue a minor. I believe learning about arts will broaden my education and help me grow professionally in ways I cannot even imagine now.”

Chichi became passionate about ceramics following her own feelings of inferiority as a creator, believing she could only mimic the work of others rather than come up with truly original work. But being in the ceramics studio for the past four years has given her the freedom to create work that is distinctly her own. She said, “I have realized that, as an artist, we gain inspiration from others—Mrs. C, my fellow TAs, my Ceramic Ones, other renowned artists—and we unknowingly, uncontrollably make it our own. I have grown from somewhat lackadaisical to pedantic, developing both technical and emotional skills that have allowed me to flourish in multiple aspects of ceramics.”

Julia found art as a way to express feelings she realized she had been hiding. She said, “Art and visual symbols are the communication link between the unconscious and conscious awareness. Art helps me express experiences that words alone cannot. My work is a constant search for the best way to interpret the ideas that I have about myself and the world I live in.” She has been drawing and painting since she was young, and as time went on, began to expand her artistic exploration, acknowledging, “Each piece I create is both a continuation of the past, where I’ve come from, what I've learned, and a preview of where I’m going.” In college she plans to major in engineering, but continue to take art electives.