Fine Arts Expo features works by the 'Masters'

Several Fine Arts graduate students are showing off the fruits of their labor in the Meyerson Hall galleries through Wednesday. A special reception was held Friday for the Masters of Fine Arts Thesis II Exhibition, which features the works of nine second-year master's degree candidates. The students whose works are currently on display represent one-half of the master's degree candidates for 1997. The show features various forms of contemporary artwork, from printmaking, sculpture and painting to video and other forms of mass media. According to Fine Arts Acting Chairperson Hitoshi Nakazato, "The thesis show is the result of two solid years' work and effort on the part of our MFA students, faculty, visiting artists and critics." Several of the artists said their work reflected their own personal growth and development during their time at the University. Reiko Seto pieced together one large sheet using all of the tea bags she collected in Philadelphia over the past one and a half years. "I like to use materials I encounter everyday," Seto said. "Every piece of my work is myself." Noting that she had to adjust to an entirely different language and culture coming to Philadelphia, Seto said her work displays her "growing up -- growing more confident." Stefan Klinger's work also focused on adjusting to life in Philadelphia--specifically through his experiences with mass transit. Klinger explored parallels between the urban environment and the human body. One of his pieces features a map of Philadelphia with SEPTA's subway system depicted in sculpture as the city's spinal cord, or "nerve center." "My work is a metaphor for traveling through life," Klinger said. "It's a record of places I've been and places I want to be." Nancy Shahani used pieces of clothing stuck with pins and needles to illustrate "emotional unloading and the process of mending." According to a statement, the University was recently ranked one of the top 10 visual art schools in the country by the Princeton Review. Fine Arts Graduate School Dean Gary Hack said, "This year's Fine Arts graduates are a remarkable group of artists who will make their mark in coming years." And Nakazato noted, "It is my belief that this year's show is the strongest in our history." Future plans for the artists include looking for teaching jobs, working in studios and traveling to New York. The show -- which is the final exhibition of the artists' works on campus -- is free and open to the public. All featured works are for sale.