The Claire Trevor School of the Arts held its quarterly undergraduate student exhibition on Dec. 4, showcasing a wide range of creativity and projects that students have been working on throughout the quarter. “Tenth Thursday,” falling on the Thursday of Week 10 during every quarter, was free of charge and open to the public, encouraging passersby to engage and appreciate the artwork on display.
The event features multiple mediums of art, including film and video, sculptures, animation, photography, audio, digital art and two-dimensional and three-dimensional paintings. Guests were able to make their way through the Arts Campus buildings to visit each exhibit as they pleased.
The sculpture exhibition featured works made from metal, wood, clay, ceramic and other mixed media. While many of the sculptures were created by students enrolled in the Beginning Ceramic Sculpture class, their work reflects that of relatively seasoned artists. One of the standout pieces was Nicole Chun’s “Comic-ly Clay,” a ceramic sculpture in black and white, appearing as if Chun ripped the scene straight out of a comic book.
Yoyo Shin’s “The Maze Building,” a maze-like building in which tiny people and plants can be seen throughout, was another sculpture made with ceramic and mixed media. The architecture of this piece recalls the brutalist style of architecture that can be found throughout UCI’s campus.
Geneva Horton’s “Spaced Out” was another immersive piece, depicting five goldfish sculpted from ceramic hanging from fishing wire above a bowl of water. This sculpture was also made with found objects that Horton cleverly incorporated. The vibrancy of the orange of the fish and the blue of the water made this work hard to turn away from.
Across from the sculpture exhibit was the film screening room. In this room, guests watched a series of short films written and produced by students throughout the quarter. Every film was different from the last, as students explored a multitude of genres and film styles. It made the viewing experience unpredictable and exciting, not knowing what may come next.
Right outside of the screening rooms were other classrooms filled with photography, paintings and interactive art pieces. One particularly creative piece was a sculpture-like display containing household items, including laundry detergent, cooking oil, children’s books and toys, tissues, prescription medication bottles and more.
The work was Adanariz Banos’ “The Hidden Labor of Caretaking,” and it struck as a piece depicting the often forgotten labor of domestic workers and mothers within society. To see just a handful of the hard work that goes into maintaining a household and raising children within such a phenomenal display was an incredible experience.
The second floor of the arts campus had even more surprises in store; upon exiting the elevator, guests were immediately greeted by two video projects by students June Lee and Yoyo Shin.
Lee’s video, titled “Beneath the Mask,” featured a young woman putting on makeup in a bathroom with black and white color grading. As she removes the makeup in the video, color slowly bleeds through, ending with the girl in no makeup but in full color. It seems that without the makeup, the girl is forced to confront the real, raw version of herself and not the facade she may feign throughout the day, explaining the color grading choices.
Just behind the video display was an exhibition curated by undergraduate students titled “Echoing Reality.” Based on the explanation provided outside the exhibit, “Echoing Reality” explores reality as an echo of the artist’s life experiences, creating shifting perspectives of reality based on the lens of the artist. The exhibit included photography, painting, sculpture and more.
What made this exhibit unique was the variety of artwork displayed. All of the art felt very personal, almost as if looking into the soul of the artist.
One riveting display included a sculpture titled “The Winter Wonderland” by Allison Peress, which depicted a natural scene with a squirrel sitting in what looked like a groove in a tree. The colors of this work were stunning with blue, purple and white shades blending together to create a scene so whimsical it looked as if it was pulled from a children’s fairytale.
Another piece was a three-dimensional painting done by Rachel Mendoza titled “Bloom Where You Are Planted.” This piece featured two paintings, one with bright orange and red hues and the other with blue and green shades, with three-dimensional flowers made from what appeared to be cardboard.
The title was especially inspiring, with its meaning hinting at the fact that wherever you are right now, whatever your reality might be, it is enough for you to succeed. Whether your reality might look as bright as the orange painting or as cool as the blue one, each painting has the materials it needs to flourish, and so do you.
Some other works included an illustrious oil on canvas painting by Jered Frigillana titled “The Garden,” Emmeline Kim’s digital art display “Perception” from 2024 and Hanna Kim’s two-dimensional painting “Embrace.” Each of these works appeared wildly different from each other, providing their own interpretations and perspectives on reality and giving us a glimpse into the creative lens of the artist.
Also on the second floor was a “ready-made” exhibit, in which passing guests can come and add their own ready-made items to the display. Already was a broken claw clip, lens wipes, a Calico Critter and a green apple.
Enlightening would be the best word to describe these exhibits. Engaging with the art and witnessing the talent of the students exposed the endless possibilities of artistic self-expression. These students did an outstanding job showcasing their hard work and creative projects from this fall quarter.
Sydney Easterday is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. She can be reached at seasterd@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Joshua Gonzales
