 "Photo: Justin Kenward")
The Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art held an opening reception on Wednesday April 21 for its annual Student Invitational exhibition, which will run through May 22.
The free exhibition presents a collection of different artworks featuring 10 carefully selected Chaffey students: Camille Alaras, David Alekhougie, Irene Diaz, Shakisaha Harvey, Nick Jones, Hansi Martinez, Brad Sackett, Alaina Sharpshair, Ashley Vanbrunt and Minh Vo.
This year’s compilation of artwork includes illustrations, digital photography, mixed media works, yarn figurines, a cardboard boudoir, an intricate web of PVC material and a floor to ceiling comic strip.
With the help of Misty Burruel, the instructional adviser for the participants of the Student Invitational, the exhibit provides student artists with a constructive experience in displaying their work in a professional setting. The students make decisions regarding wall colors, lighting effects and the positioning of their pieces in the gallery.
“This is an opportunity for students to be self-reflective,” Burruel said. “It’s a chance to look at their process and what it means to contribute to the invitational.”
The diverse collection of pieces reveals the extravagant creativity of the student artists.
In a series of paintings, Shakisaha Harvey pushed the boundaries of religious views by depicting women from the Bible in a mutant and extremely sexual manner.
“Women from the Bible are portrayed either as whores or as martyrs because they have a sexual identity,” Harvey said. “As a feminist, I feel that women are not portrayed correctly in society, and I exaggerate those stereotypes in my work.”
“I think all the artwork is pretty cool and original,” Chaffey student James LeBlanc said as he walked through the gallery. “I really liked the spider-looking thing that casts shadows,” he said.
The “spider-looking thing” is “Creation,” a complex construction made of PVC material that resembles a skeletal frame with jagged edges. Strategically placed lights create the dramatic effect of shadows in the background.
“Overall, I like the fact that we each asserted our own personalities and uniqueness in our work,” Minh Vo, creator of “Creation,” said. “As you can see, everyone’s works are large because we are ambitious, which is what makes this show very strong.”
“The exhibition is very diverse in mediums, culture and points of view, which is the spirit of making art and the spirit of Chaffey College,” Burruel said.
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