2026 VCUarts MFA
Thesis Show Identity
2026
Identity design
Completed for the Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University
Alchemy, an ancient branch of
natural philosophy prominent in
the Middle Ages, had a myriad of goals–transforming lead to gold,
discovering cure-alls, even elixirs
for immortality. While its esoteric
mysticism may read lofty to
contemporary people, it served as a precursor to modern chemistry through its experimental methods.
With a strong focus on material transformation to create a magnum opus, it’s easy to argue that
alchemy’s wisdom can be translated into art and design.
After studio
visits with the current 2nd-years,
the curatorial team found this
alchemical “what happens if I mix this with that” throughline spanning across the cohort.
To represent this red thread (and commitment to material and spiritual transformation), the hand-collaged poster pulls images from alchemical texts ranging from the Middle Ages to recent times.
First-person (Installation)
2026
Mixed-media installation
Reflected in the LCD display was my face–my neck scrunched, my eyes worn in from spending the majority of my days glued to the blue light of my laptop followed by my Switch. For the 1-2 minute load times I routinely encountered, the four orange-painted walls of my room were laid bare: here I was, in an 8’ x 10’ room with a permanently closed window.
First-person meanders through the tools we use to translate between the physical and “virtual” world, whether that be an Animal Crossing avatar or the searing beam of the scanner bed.
First-person (Book)
2026
Spiral-bound book
First-person meanders through the tools we use to translate between the physical and “virtual” world, whether that be an Animal Crossing avatar or the searing beam of the scanner bed.
This book served as a research document for the gestures that led up to the installation of First-person.
I can type in my progress with this
2026
Inkjet-printed zine
Initially imagined as an index of Resident Evil save rooms, I can type in my progress with this documents my descent into the comfort and anxiety of screen culture during the pandemic.
Machine, Learning
2025
Cloth binder, binding board,
FaceApp’d glossy 4” x 6” photos,
IKEA VALLABY rug
Last year, two conspicuous bots invited me to connect on LinkedIn. What business does a bot have networking? Rather than think practically, I imagined these bots grabbing onto any form of any human legitimacy. In an act of generosity, I fed them childhood photos from an album my father assembled, allowing these bots to craft childhoods of their own. Thus, Baby ______ O’Leary was born.
Leaving is the most I can do
2025
Twenty-four booklets of Instagram posts and stories, five Bankers boxes, three clay bricks, three red ratchet straps, two laser-etched boxes, two lamps, one Macbook Pro, one Fuji bike, and one black moving blanket
I tried to find my Vines to no avail. I dreamed of what server farm Musk or Dorsey have secluded a video of me dancing in a silver Jabbawockeez mask in. The wannabe digital luddite in me freaked out, and downloaded all of my data across every app I currently use. As I navigated .html files and useless metadata, I thought about my future garage, filled to the brim with every post I’ve ever made. Leaving is the most I can do is a snapshot of Instagram between December 2017 - December 2018.
Save Room
2025
Single-channel video
Save Room is lecture performance seeking ways to cope with the social ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding repeated solace in the virtual space of Resident Evil save rooms and relaxing video game music, the lecture highlights the continued anxiety that emerges in “post-pandemic” times.
Shiatsu Beyond Recognition
2024
Single-color risograph printed zine
Created following my third bout of COVID infection, Shiatsu Beyond Recognition is a meditation on how we understand our bodies’ functions on a microbial and behavioral level alike. Moving from hand-made collage into bitmapped textures and vice versa, the end result becomes a body rendered unrecognizable.
Flesh Plastered Mantras
2024
Single-color risograph printed zine;
inkjet print on trace vellum
Lifting aphoristic, self-affirming phrases from conversations with a close friend, Flesh Plastered Mantras repeats these phrases in an effort to render them real. The mantras become affixed both to the skin of the artist and to the book in the form of printed ink.
CRANK [Typeface]
2023
Custom-developed typeface
CRANK is a unicase typeface combining elements of comic book dialogue with Old English lettering.
Cave Canem Brand Design
2024
During my tenure at Cave Canem, I oversaw a refresh of the organization’s brand. As the icon of the Black dog breaking its chain (taken from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii) was a key identifier, I incorporated the dog as a standalone element. Additionally, I updated the brand’s type choices to evoke the feeling of the printed word, as Cave Canem’s work continues the important work of upholding the Black literary tradition.