Exhibition

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “The Book Show,” an exhibition of book projects by 19 artists from the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay, curated by instructors Anna Raff and James Ransome. The exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, December 6th, 2023 through Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Gramercy Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, New York City. 

An annual exhibition, “The Book Show” challenges first-year students to conceive, write and illustrate a book—whether a children’s book, graphic novel, self-help book, or visual essay—based on a personal experience or subject matter that is meaningful to them. 

Highlights from the exhibition include:

Ciel Chen’s visual essay, Ruby Days, examines an adolescent girl grappling with the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty. This project illustrates various scenes from this sensitive but beautiful period of time. 

Anjali Kamat’s graphic memoir, Kickstart, is a story about the series of events that follow a sixteen-year-old girl after she receives an Indian motorized bike called Activa for her birthday. 

Other artists featured in this exhibition include Manyun Cai, Sheya Chen, Zixin Chen, Vivi John, Rama Duwaji, Chloe Giroux, Lizzy Itzkowitz, Divyakshi Kedia, Lee Alex, Momo Li, Shiki Liu, Kathleen Ma, Penny Peng, Yu Tao, Jen Yoon, Shan Zhou and Jesse Zuo.

The MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay at SVA is designed to maximize students’ opportunities as figurative artists, from the conventional gallery wall to the full range of 21st-century media. The program fuses the development of creative thinking with technical and communication skills. Additional focus is placed on best practices in navigating the visual-art marketplace while empowering students to choose making art as a way of life.

The SVA Gramercy Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am–6:00pm. Masks are encouraged but not required.