New pieces are in the Dla Ludzi Gallery as part of the “Social Hand Print,” “Modular Meaning Ceramics,” and “Surrealist Room Collages” projects of Swihart’s Advanced Art and Art ⅞ classes. The projects had varying artistic angles; both the “Social Hand Print” and “Modular Meaning Ceramics” projects focused on symbolism while the “Surrealist Room Collage” project upsets the status quo by balancing images seen in real life with unreal placements and some forced perspective.

Bryson Vance of the “Social Hand Print” project enjoyed painting hands, as he can express feelings in a multitude of ways. Vance declared that one challenge presented while creating the artwork was getting the correct proportions for the hands, as this is vital to making sure the piece looks right. According to Vance, the process of printmaking consists of “transferring images from one surface onto another surface, most often paper or fabric.” He feels that printmaking fits his abstract art style. He states that his underlying message in his piece was that promises can be broken.

Sydney Boik, also from the “Social Hand Print” project, opinionates that she does not enjoy painting hands because of some of the challenges that it presents, but she does enjoy printmaking. However, she mentioned that she also prefers painting Basquiat style. The subject of Boik’s piece was ego; she stated, “I used the hands to form a ‘W’ to give the idea of a “winner” mentality[,] which is something I believe I have.”

Isabella Chen of the “Modular Meaning Ceramics” project sculpted multiple heart necklaces that represent friendship. Chen found it hard to sculpt the minute shapes and details of the objects and found the process especially time-consuming for the more natural, rather than geometric forms, of the piece. She suggested that first-time sculptors create the simple shapes in their art pieces before beginning to form the intricate details; she asserted that one should add more water to their clay to sculpt more dramatic changes in form. Chen expressed that the two necklaces depicted in her piece represent two of her friends that gave them to her, explaining that she enjoys collecting objects that hold special meaning to her personal relationships.

Rachel Kim, also of the “Modular Meaning Ceramics” project, sculpted a light switch. Kim found her piece easy to form because of the simple geometric shapes. She recommended that those who are new to sculpting take their time. The meaning behind Kim’s piece is that she likes to turn off the lights to find solace and calm down when feeling anxious, hence the light switch.

Henry Flores of the “Surrealist Room Collages” project enjoys the surrealist art style and finds it to be dream-like. Flores described the vanishing point that the piece utilizes, with objects in the background seeming to come together and converge at a single point. Flores stated that the piece was “weird” and “random;” there are many animals popping out in the depiction, as well as a suit-clad figure made up by Flores named “Brutus” and triplets named Nikki, Tikki and Janus.

The “Social Hand Print” project gives an in-depth look at the personalities of their artists; the “Modular Meaning Ceramics” project adopted a more materialistic approach and showed the value that some objects can have for different people. Meanwhile, The “Surrealist Room Collages” project provided a healthy dose of artistic chaos and made use of artistic techniques to achieve a specific perspective. All in all, these recent Dla Ludzi inclusions served as a testament to the devotion, dedication, and development of budding artists exploring their talents throughout the year; these pieces were a great send-off to this year’s Dla Ludzi Galleries.