The Student art Exhibit opening, held Thursday on the third floor of M.D. Anderson Library, unveiled the diverse works of 21 UH students.
Architecture freshman Hung Pham garnished his own wall with four distinct pieces including ‘Foreshortening,’ ‘Emotional’ ‘Changes,’ ‘Personal Growth’ and ‘My Heart.’
‘His work is really just phenomenal. It’s varied, and it shows all of the great artistic and architectural elements. He really stuck out in my mind very much and I think we’re very lucky to have him at the University of Houston,’ events coordinator Carolyn Meanley said of Pham and his work.
Pham submitted five entries in to the competition, all of which he created during high school, and four were surveyed by a jury and accepted.
‘I’m pretty proud of myself and I think it’s still pretty competitive,’ Pham said.
The UH Student Art Exhibit jury comprised representatives from the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Blaffer Gallery, Lawndale Art Center, the Menil Collection and the UH Art Department, who selected each of the 28 student pieces.
Architecture senior Fabian Vargas also showed a piece in the exhibit. Vargas’ ‘Mi Hispanidad’ is a reflection of his Spanish heritage.
‘I did it in a day and a half. It was a competition for Kleenex for expressing your Hispanic heritage. I found out about it Friday, it was due Monday, got the concept together and I just painted,’ Vargas said.
Vargas has only been painting since November and is more familiar with planned and rigid art.
Mechanical engineering freshman Ogechukwuka Azaka said his work ‘Endless Thought’ describes the everyday life of a man.
‘It’s more about a general man, his life, what it’s all about,’ Azaka said, ‘It has the picture of a man sitting with his wife.’
Communication freshman Lisa Piedrasanta had two works selected for the exhibit. Her works featured on the first wall included ‘Sweetness I Was Only Joking’ and ‘Blue Dresses in the Summer.’
‘That one really meant a lot to me, because it was like a personal statement that I was trying to express me,’ Piedrasnata said of ‘Sweetness I Was Only Joking.’
Piedrasanta was also very fond of art education junior Philip Stevens’ huge painting ‘Hands.’
‘You can tell he put a lot (into his) work,’ Piedrasanta said.
Other students with work at the exhibit include architecture senior Juan Rosillo with ‘Someone Special,’ and ‘Why,’ art junior Le Huang with ‘Couples’ and art senior Shane Maberry with ‘Plan B.’
In Maberry’s piece viewers look through two holes in a wooden box to see a street sign, a boat, and a hurricane evacuation sign. It was unlike any other work displayed, showing the diversity of the artists’ work.
The Student Art Exhibit will run through April 15.
Students of all majors are encouraged to submit work for next year’s exhibit.
