School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “In Flux,” an exhibition of thesis work by the MPS Digital Photography class of 2024. Curated by New York City gallerist and SVA faculty member Debra Klomp Ching, “In Flux” is viewable from Wednesday, October 9 through Saturday, October 26, at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, 209 E 23rd Street, New York, NY. The SVA Gramercy Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am to 6:00pm.

In explaining the title, exhibition curator Debra Klomp Ching says, “In Flux—a play on words. The concept points to the flow and fluidity of changing ideas, objects and actions. It can also point to the arrival of something in large quantities—normally tangible, but also conceptual. Digital photography can, arguably, be cited as a site of flux. The photographic medium is inextricably linked to technology, and since technology is continually evolving, so too is digital photography. It quite literally, is in an endless state of flux.”

MPS Digital Photography chair Tom P. Ashe expands, “In their thesis projects, our students have explored our ever-changing and evolving neighborhoods, views of ourselves and our lifestyles, our relationships to our families, the divine and nature, and even our dreams. This pervasive flux in our world, and shown in these artists’ images, has the power to give us both the unease and hope that come from change.”

The photographs by Lucas Brito Drumond in “Hell’s Kitchen,” document the people and places within this New York City neighborhood, showcasing its importance and how its raw history still endures through its community. Zona Chen’s “Banana Man” is a series of humorous composite photographic work, visualizing the artist’s experiences living in New York City from the perspective of a fictional character.

In her project, “Seeking my style in the City,” Jenny Lee depicts her journey of working with stylists in the fashion industry in New York, helping define new styles that represent different and unexplored facets of her inner self through studio and street self-portraits. Conversely, Mia Müller-Schöll prepared her grandmother’s recipes then photographed the results, gathering the images and recipes in an interpretive cookbook titled, A Baking Legacy.

“¡LOTERIA!” is Mariana Otálora Chávez’s reimagining of Loteria Mexicana, making stylized photographs based on her childhood memories to replace the traditional objects and folkloric characters of the original game. Chen Qian’s “Mountain Escape” depicts the getaway lifestyle at the Piaule Catskill resort, documenting the resort’s unique combination of a natural environment, a holistic lifestyle and human architecture that is integrated with its surroundings.

Tong Shen’s “Equation,” is a series of photographic diptychs that aims to find unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated objects and scenes. “Saffron Tears” is artist Hedieh Sorouri’s series of self-portraits photographed in nature, accompanied by Persian poetry, that explores the beauty of the hijab.

In “Mask of Fashion,” Agen Xin merges fashion and art, using masks to highlight clothing and create a sense of mystery, while exploring themes of self-identity. The series “Paper Dream” delves into artist Quan Yuan’s subconscious, using paper- based still-life compositions to depict unsettling dreams in hopes of uncovering the hidden messages of her psyche.

Finally, Ming Zhang’s “Fantasy Gods,” uses the language of fashion to explore giving material form to deities based on human interpretations, through stylish garments, special makeup and handmade props.

Celebrating its 17th year, the Masters in Professional Studies in Digital Photography at SVA is an intensive one-year graduate degree program that addresses the digital image capture, workflow, exhibition printing, sound, video and visual storytelling skills, which professional photographers and photo educators require to be at the vanguard of commercial, fine art, portrait and fashion photography practices. Within the year, the diverse and talented students excel at producing conceptually compelling and technically outstanding images, and are ideally positioned to pursue gallery representation, editorial or commercial work, as well as high-end digital retouching and consulting careers.