In A Narrative Rewritten, I explore two distinct periods of my past. One group of work deals with the emotional effects of trauma I experienced as a child during years of practicing ballet. The other celebrates a pivotal moment of spiritual awakening that gave me the strength to confront internal falsehoods I previously developed. I paint from observation, to engage with my subject and to ground myself in the present moment. In my oil paintings, I paint representationally, while delving in to the spectrum of abstraction. I use imagery symbolically from ballet and boxing to represent a shift from inadequacy to empowerment.

Work of art of oil on canvas by artist Hannah Aaron as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "A Narrative Rewritten"

Work of art of oil on canvas by artist Hannah Aaron as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "A Narrative Rewritten"

Work of art of oil on canvas by artist Hannah Aaron as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "A Narrative Rewritten"

My artistic practice centers around personal history, connection, and identity. I reflect on my experience as a Nigerian who has lived on three continents thus far, and how those experiences have led to the deconstruction, reassembly, and hybridization of my identity. My work pays homage to my tribe of origin, Yoruba, whilst redefining and exploring the hybridity that exists as a result of cross-cultural influences that are prominent in our world today. I incorporate varying objects and materials such as jewelry, sculpture, wood, metal, and fiber. This integration speaks to the multicultural existence of the world I live in the interrelationship between Nigeria and the West.

Asepo is a simulated domestic space that speaks to being a product of the hybridization of cultures, the sense of displacement and the need for belonging that comes with being a hybrid of sorts. The exhibition includes four sectors. The first is a bed with a floating headboard accompanied by projected imagery and sound. A performance takes place upon the bed. The second is a table with three accompanying wall-mounted pieces that connect to the table through symbolism. The third is a sculptural wooden diptych and the final sector is comprised of accessories.

Brief Artist Statement by Russell Anderson as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Modified Aesthetics on an Inner Space” in the Cora Stafford Gallery on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 29-April 9, 2021.

Work of art in Wood, Fabric, Acrylic, Monofilament, Resin by artist Lara Asam as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Thresholds"

Brief Artist Statement by Lara Asam as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Thresholds” in the Cora Stafford Gallery on the campus of the University of North Texas on April 12-22, 2021.

Work of art in charcol and tape on cloth by artist Taylor Barnes as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Who's Next?"

Work of art in embroidery on cloth by artist Taylor Barnes as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Who's Next?"

Work of art in cut cloth and charcoal by artist Taylor Barnes as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Who's Next?"

Work of art in charcol and embroidery on cloth by artist Taylor Barnes as part of a 2019 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Who's Next?"

Artist Statement from the MFA Exhibition: "My work expresses personal experiences dealing with race, identity, and social critique. As an African American woman born and raised in Texas, it is common for me to be the only black face in white spaces. Being framed as the "other" has been ingrained in my existence, affecting the way I navigate through life. Throughout my time in graduate school, I have constructed my own framework of identity. Referencing history and its permanent effects on the present, my work explores the internal and external complexities of being a black woman in America today."

Juan Barroso's artwork depicts Mexican labor and the immigrant experience at the border. With the current political administration enforcing policies that dehumanize and force immigrants into the shadows, recognizing an immigrant’s humanity is vital. As the son of immigrant parents, he pays homage to his people and the dignity of their labor. He mixes 2- dimensional imagery, influenced by personal narratives, with 3-dimensional functional forms. Using a small watercolor brush, he paints his images with thousands of dots in a timeconsuming and labor-intensive process that becomes an act of devotion.

Work of art of Ballpoint Pen by artist Jordan Black as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Heeding the Underbelly"

Black’s work presents The Ubiquitous, an entity that propagates into subhuman beings that ravage the deserts in search of sacrificial circles or homing beacons. Their physical nature is heavily influenced by: Languid, liquid human body language; the otherworldly visage and tenacity of plant life; the heaving monstrosity of mountains and rock formations; and the joyous allegory of movie monsters, puppets, and pulp fantasy. The Ubiquitous is explored in Black’s whimsical writings and intensive drawings which are characterized by her mark’s immediacy; and her work seeks to understand this Being’s purpose, function, and correlation to her own life..

Work of art of Blue ink on found paper by artist Jordan Black as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Heeding the Underbelly"

I use the domestic as a locale to consider the function of a queer body within the “American Dream.” I frequently remove the objects from their intended uses through various methods of alterations. Breaking things down to queer identity, objects, space, and community, I consider each object as a stand-in for individuals liberated from the pressure of preconceptions and mastery. Each lends itself towards the community identity, serving individually as separate functions within the experience, but also collectively serving as an invitation for on-lookers to join this community that we would define together.

Work of art on mixed media by artist Joshua Bryant as part of a 2022 MFA exhibition, entitled "Keep it Between You and Me and the Neighbors" in the Cora Stafford Gallery South, 1201 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX 76201, from March 23rd to 26th, 2022.

Photographs from the MFA Exhibition "Draw Me Near" as shown at the Cora Stafford Gallery.

Timelapsed video from the MFA Exhibition "Draw Me Near" as shown at the Cora Stafford Gallery. In this video, friends, family members, and colleagues dine with the artist during the exhibition.

I have impulses to make things, sometimes the idea happens prior to its construction, sometimes it happens after. I doubt the presumption of art's ability to save or better people, which creates for me, a conflicted relationship with art-making. I think in most cases, the best it can do is attract people's interest for a moment or so, to the extent that they feel compelled to see it again. Upon those sentiments I make things that provoke a thought or pleasure in myself that I hope other people can relate to. That seems to me to be the bitch of subjective activities. You do what you feel but are never quite sure how it's felt.

Installation view (digital photo) of 2023 MFA exhibition by artist Sarah DePetris, entitled "Stones & Ghosts (Part I)" in the Union Art Gallery, University Union, University of North Texas, from March 27 - April 6, 2023. Photograph by Stephanie Gerhart.