School of Visual Arts presents “The Book Show,” an exhibition of work by members of the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay class of 2018. Curated by Department Chair Marshall Arisman and faculty member Carl Nicholas Titolo, “The Book Show” is on view Friday, December 8, through Saturday, January 13, at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, New York City.

This annual exhibition challenges MFA Illustration as Visual Essay students to conceive, write and illustrate a book—whether a children's book, graphic or illustrated novel, or visual essay—based on a personal experience or subject matter that is meaningful to them. The books vary in content and style and are as individual as the students themselves. Below is a sampling of some of the books in the exhibition.

Anagh Banerjee has written and illustrated a historical book on the aftermath of the British departing from India and the significant changes that happened there, using a collection of woodcut prints depicting stories of separation of those who were uprooted and displaced.

If Your Heart Is Broken, Eat the Pieces for Breakfast: Love Advice from Other People by Annelise Caposella showcases real advice that was collected, edited and humorously illustrated by the artist. The book features nuggets of wisdom ranging from the sweet and helpful to the cynical, absurd and disturbing.

Kyung Chyun's Dear Halmeoni & Halabeoji is a personal graphic novel touching on topics such as the globalized Korean identity, the Korean War and immigration.

The Lonely City by Joe Gough is inspired by Edward Hopper’s paintings of New York. This body of work depicts the particular loneliness of living in the city, where it is easy to feel isolated despite being physically close to others.

Giselle Harrington’s Betty Sue Pulls Up Her Roots is a children's book following the misadventures of Betty Sue, a cornstalk who has decided to leave the cornfield where she grew up in order to add more color to her life.

Clara Kirkpatrick's Sweet Revenge, is a graphic and whimsical visual exploration of classic motifs of passion, betrayal and revenge. With narrative images, she has taken a traditional story of heartbreak and reimagined it in a visual vocabulary of bright colors, patterns, tropical landscapes and, most importantly, humor.

Stephen Procopio has created an on-location book featuring the Other Half Brewery, an up-and-coming craft beer brewery and taproom in Brooklyn.

Nikki Smetters’ A History of Hoaxes and Hijinks, looks at centuries of chicanery through the eyes of belief, with the art showing one story and the text telling another.

In his book Bloom, Colin Verdi has created a collection of mixed-media paintings that celebrate the extremes that people will go to in the pursuit of a personal ideal of beauty.

Wenqi Zhang's Lucky Number is a personal story about her lucky number, seven. Zhang’s emotional connection to the number is explored through all the connections it has made in her life, from family members' birthdays to her shoe size to various ID, telephone and address numbers.

Exhibition

The Book Show

SVA Gramercy Gallery

Reception