Faculty of Art

Criticism and Curatorial Practice

Nina Ankisetty

the buds on the trees look like pistachios

"the buds on the trees look like pistachios" Anita Lasek, Danielle Vincent, Margaret Marchant Spring has arrived. The bare sticks that pierce the sky sprout buds, glittering the air with signs of life. Some will wither, while others may burst with potential. This is the essence of graduation - a period of ambiguity and new beginnings. "the buds on the trees look like pistachios" captures the bittersweet blend of excitement and uncertainty that hangs in the air as one transitions into a new stage of life. Lasek seeks grounding after the familiar walls of school. With ultimate freedom in choosing what and how to create, she returns to a rigorous practice of creating studies, re-introducing rudiments, and creating a foundation for her future practice. Vincent's series of indoor paintings explore the interstices that inhabit her lived spaces. She highlights the liminality that permeates all our situations, leaning into this discomfort, and reflecting on her emotions about graduating soon. Marchant's drawings and paintings turn inwards and discover the unknowns that lie within our skin. Using the natural body as a starting point, she dives into the uncomfortable sensations that lie beneath the surface. As days grow longer, surrendering to spring's warm embrace, a liminal realm emerges ambiguous, pregnant with possibility. Like budding branches, nascent growth beckons, delicate yet resilient. It is with care that we approach these states of being, finding freedom in discomfort and change. Curated by Nina Ankisetty & Deirdre McIntosh