Exhibition

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Nature Takes its Course,” an exhibition of multimedia work by twelve SVA students selected by a jury of their peers. “Nature Takes its Course” is on view from Saturday, August 5, through Monday, August 28, at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, New York City.

The words “nature” and “environment” are often used interchangeably during casual conversations. An environment, however, is defined by the individual experiencing it for the first time. The perception of this space or locale takes form based on knowledge, understanding and intuition. Nature, on the other hand, moves forward and changes shape, seemingly with a mind of its own. Humans must necessarily navigate and integrate both into their daily lives. The artists in “Nature Takes Its Course” explore the contradictions that arise as the immaterial mind progresses within the physical world, entangled by mortality, material and time.

Artists featured in this exhibition are Soo Oh Bang (MPS 2023 Directing), Eliza Boyer (MPS 2023 Art Therapy), Melanie Brewster (MFA 2024 Art Practice), Mengqian Chang (BFA 2024 Photography and Video), Katy Freeman (MFA 2023 Illustration as Visual Essay), Davina Hsu (MFA 2023 Fine Arts), Yujie Liu (MFA 2023 Photography, Video and Related Media), Sha Luo (BFA 2023 Photography and Video), Joseph O’Malley (MFA 2024 Photography, Video and Related Media), Valentine Shultz (BFA 2026 Cartooning), Chaerin Yang (BFA 2024 Photography and Video) and Ke Yu (BFA 2024 Illustration).

Juried exhibitions are a way for SVA students to recognize the achievements of their most distinguished classmates. Artists are selected from a large pool of applicants to the annual SVA Galleries call for entries, whose submissions undergo a rigorous examination of presented materials, including documentation of work and artist statements. 

The SVA Gramercy Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, from 10:00am–6:00pm.