Students exhibit their paintings and sculptures, inspired from study abroad

North Central College presents “Dawn Over Dusk: Singapura,” a student art exhibit featuring the work of junior Grace Morris, who’s majoring in studio art, and junior Briana Tobin, majoring in theatrical design and technology and in religious studies.

On display April 10-May 1, the students will showcase paintings and sculptures that focus on the diverse religious and cultural traditions they experienced during their study abroad in Singapore. The exhibit is free and open to the public in the College’s Oesterle Library Gallery, 320 E. School St. An artist reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 24; complimentary refreshments will be served.

Morris and Tobin studied at Singapore’s LASALLE College of the Arts from July to December 2014 and discovered many unique ethnic communities in the city. To understand these diverse cultures, they attended a variety of religious festivals and produced works of art, which are displayed in a dawn/day/dusk cycle to honor the symbol of light and a common thread in those religious traditions.  

Morris, of Wausau, Wis., believes art and storytelling are intricately connected and uses comics to create innovative methods of storytelling. “While in Singapore, I studied the mythology and traditions behind the festivals and how that mythology interacts with the trappings of modern society,” said Morris. “In my paintings, I attempt to illustrate the images of myth, the images from the streets of Singapore and ultimately the unexpected and resilient ties connecting them.” Morris hopes to continue creating comics for her future work.

Tobin, of Shorewood, is passionate about audiovisual storytelling and is especially concerned with the complex interpretations of both traditional and unconventional characters and ideologies. “No challenge is more rewarding than sculpting an alternate world through colors, textures and sounds,” Tobin said. “I interpret the complex character of this country through the costumes of Chinese and Hindu goddesses, women in Islamic tradition and the colorful streets of modern-day Singapura.” Tobin plans to pursue doctoral research in cinematic and theological aesthetics.

Christine Rabenold, associate professor of art, is faculty advisor for this exhibit. For more information about the exhibit or gallery hours, contact Rabenold at 630-637-5543 or cmrabenold@noctrl.edu.

Art students at North Central College learn traditional and contemporary media; engage in analytical, critical and abstract thinking; and learn to communicate ideas visually. Students attend gallery and museum openings and exhibits in Naperville and Chicago, meet visiting artists, enter juried exhibitions and gain an academic foundation for graduate study in studio art, art education, art history, art therapy, arts administration, art criticism and visual communications. Visit northcentralcollege.edu/majors/art to learn more about North Central’s art program.