Alumni

Fay Ray (BFA '02) often says her work is about the construction of identity, which is something a lot of artists say. But in “I AM THE HOUSE” Ray takes that premise in sublime new directions, in a series of sculptures and photo-based works that through formal materials, actions and techniques of their processes, and narrative aspects of their content, do construct identity, right before your eyes.

When we first meet Topsy in the pages of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the enslaved young girl grins, "goblin-like," and repeatedly professes her wickedness. She embodies blackness to her young mistress Eva's whiteness; she plays devil to Eva's saint, base earth to Eva's ethereal spirit. She comes into the St. Clare family as a civilizing project, a heathen to be educated, tamed, Christianized.

Otis College's 100th Anniversary Exhibition 'ASIA / LA ← → LA / ASIA' will be held at the ARA Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul.

The exhibition, which will be held on the 1st and 2nd floor floors of the ARA Art Center (underground), will be on view from April 14 - 22, showcases the work of Otis College graduates and faculty. 

Bruce Ferguson, president of Otis College of Art and Design, said, "This exhibition of Otis' 100-year tradition marks the close connection between LA and Asia, celebrating the Otis College community that created global artists." 

L.A. Louver is hosting Alison Saar’s "Topsy Turvy” at its Los Angeles venue.

An exhibition of new works by the Los Angeles-based artist takes inspiration from the character of Topsy in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic Civil War-era novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Saar re-contextualizes the sprightly uncouth slave girl as a symbol of defiance, through paintings on dyed vintage linens and sculptures carved from wood.

Mike Tavarez (BFA Digital Media '08) discusses his inspirations, favorite pieces of work and what he thinks will be the next big thing in design. Gentleman Scholar is a bicoastal U.S. creative production company drawn together by a love for design and an eagerness to push boundaries. The company is proud to present this series of interviews with some of its amazing, emerging talents, in conversation with its LA-based production and marketing maven, CJ Sustello.

"I love that every single major here is art but it’s all a different type of art. So when we come together, we all have different interests but we kind of overlap in some ways, I think that’s beautiful," says Clover Clemans (BFA Toy Design '17). "I have to say one of the biggest things that I have learned at Otis is to get inspiration from everywhere. You have to look to other places and get inspired by many other people." 

In 2016, the Kerry James Marshall ('78 Fine Arts) retrospective, Mastry, traveled from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (MCA) to the Met Breuer. Standing behind the clear plexiglass podium, about to address the press, Kerry took a deep breath, looked down, noticed his descended zipper, corrected it, and then delivered his wonderfully disarming chuckle, effectively deepening the awe of the already starstruck audience.

“People of color have to live with the burden of past and present discriminations and injustices every day,” says artist Kohshin Finley. “The subjects I paint have only become stronger because of this burden, and have not become weakened by it.”

Finley’s contemporary portraiture was submitted to Artists Magazine’s Annual Art Competition. The raw power of his stark, emotional art paints a light on racial discrimination in the U.S.

From Conversations to Powerful Portraiture

“Growing up in Hawaii, I lived a very positive lifestyle and I was trying to promote that within my family and friends,” says Chaz Inouye (BFA Product Design ‘17). “I wanted to take that into designs of my own. Encouraging more positivity within the lives of my users is the main inspiration of my work.”

At the busy intersection of fine art, fashion, and street art, you will find artist and designer Sofia Enriquez ('14 BFA Communications Arts), a powerhouse champion of equality, positivity, and authentic individuality in all its forms. Her line of upcycled clothing, Es Mucho, evolved from and alongside her studio and public mural painting and features exuberant hand-painted graphics.