Navigating the Unknown designed by PCA Certificate Student, Amy Rapp by Sara Krauskopf

COMMUNICATION DESIGN

BFA

The digital revolution has opened up communication design to new disciplines that require students to excel not only in traditional design skills, but in design research methodology, human-centered concept development and system design processes.

cultural and creative perspectives. Not only is the metropolitan landscape an ideal setting to experience graphic design in action, but the city’s vibrant community of design professionals is a rich resource for students as they develop their own visual language.

Communication designers give form to information in advertising, publishing and editorial design, corporate and exhibition design, websites, multimedia, environmental graphics, signs and maps, service design, interaction design, film and video. In all these fields, the need to clearly and succinctly inform, entertain and persuade remains a critical concern.

The comprehensive curriculum at PCA establishes a solid foundation in visual form and design principles, as well as addressing the methodologies and issues behind contemporary graphic design. Visits to Parisian art and design institutions like the Pompidou Center, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, La Gaité Lyrique, and the Palais de Tokyo provide a wealth of opportunities to view the trajectory of European communication design from its historical roots through to its latest trends.

Located in an internationally renowned mecca for artists and designers, PCA offers Communication Design majors a unique opportunity to broaden their

Sara Biatchinyi

Aika Cherdabayeva

Leyla Imamutdinova

Chloe Tournier Decret

Sara Biatchinyi Biography A designer focusing on decolonisation and identity politics, Sara Biatchinyi finds herself heavily invested in the crossroads of research and design. Originally from Modena, Italy, Sara has lived in Zambia, Indonesia, Tanzania, India, Namibia, and Chile before deciding to settle in Paris for her BFA in Communication Design. The experience of first hand integration in different countries has nurtured her appreciation for cultural diversity. She developed an interest in the arts at a young age, which she further expanded on during her high school career in Namibia and Chile through the IGCSE and IB programs.

has emphasised the discourse of marginalisation and the importance of representation.

Her work has integrated data design, editorial design, photography and sound design. In addition, her work has always revolved around identity and the shaping of society around her. She utilises the relationship between colours and a linear form of communication to relay to her viewers. In her third year of studies she attended the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, where the course in cultural diversity particularly impacted her. Driven by the understanding of western and non-western perceptions of design, this course provided a basis for her thesis titled “Afrikan Attitude: The Case for Decolonising Design”. An avid reader and curious researcher, Sara uses the strengths of her visual language and design to provide symbiotic relationship between the aesthetic and content of her works.

Meanwhile, the annual report on violence against women in Italy produced in 2019 was conjured through frustration and fear of the state and role of women in Italian society. As an increase of violent attacks on women are being reported on a daily basis, she wanted to focus on bringing these statistics to light through an assertive and clear design. The content focuses on statistics of abuse in Italy, as well as resources for women who are in compromised situations. Throughout these works, Sara draws her attention to detail through carefully selecting colour palettes and design systems that allows the reader to invest in the topic at hand. An essential part of her process is understanding how the viewer can engage with the information, whilst maintaining a decisive and confident aesthetic.

The Methods Magazine, completed in December of 2020, draws a close relationship with her thesis, “An Afrikan Attitude: The Case for Decolonising Design”. The focus of this magazine is to create a space for showcasing under represented artists in the African diaspora. Through articles focusing on decolonisation in the art world to artist interviews, the magazine aims to include and emphasise the importance of African artists in the world of art and design.

Artist’s Statement Sara’s works focus on socio-political contexts and identity politics. Throughout her years at Paris College of Art, she

email : sarabiatchinyi@gmail.com instagram: sara.biatchinyi

Methods Magazine, 2020 23 x 30 cm

Uomini Che Uccidono le Donne, 2019 21 x 29,7 cm

Aika Cherdabayeva Biography Aigerim (Aika) Cherdabayeva is a Kazakh artist and designer currently undertaking a BFA in Communication Design at Paris College of Art. Due to her nomadic lifestyle, shifting between the western and non-western cultures, art has been a tool of navigation that bridged the gaps between her environments. She developed her practices through studying Fine Arts at the Malyi Academy of the Arts in Kazakhstan and the IB Visual Arts programme in Scotland. Aika’s current work ranges from graphic design, editorial design, motion graphics, to illustration, photography, and printmaking. The majority of Aika’s career focuses on socio-political and cultural issues that have been relevant from her childhood to the present day. Intersectionality, Cyber Feminism and Identity Politics are some of the few topics that are intertwined in Aika’s creative work.

her knowledge on the topics she was interested in, and found inspiration for her written thesis “Post-Soviet Artivism: Contemporary Artists and Designers Viewing Art as a Means to Express Protest”. It focuses on the current climate young designers and artists living in post-Soviet countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Russia have to deal with, highlighting the ways in which they dismantle political repression and gender oppression through their works, despite being under the scrutiny of state censorship. With a strong sensitivity to color, detail, communication and design choices, Aika’s multidisciplinary background has influenced her artistic career and her ability to create contextually and visually potent work that creates awareness.

For the third year of her undergraduate degree, Aika studied abroad at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Thanks to this immersive experience and the captivating design, research, and theory courses offered at the academy, she developed

instagram: aika.cher

Top: Methods Magazine, 2020 Bottom: Пространство [prostranstvo] , 2019

Leyla Imamutdinova Biography Leyla Imamutdinova is a Communication Designer and Printmaker from Russia. She grew up in three countries: Russia, Gabon and France. Leyla was surrounded by art all her life. From a young age, her interest in art manifested in different forms: drawing, painting, and printmaking. At the age of fifteen, she graduated from Art School in Russia. Leyla then attended art courses in Maisons-Lafitte, France. After this experience, she decided to move to Paris to pursue a Communication and Graphic Design degree at Paris College of Art. She participated in a year-long study abroad program at Pratt University, New York, which helped her improve her graphic design skills. In more recent years, her interest shifted towards bookmaking and grid design, but her main focus for the past semester has been typography and designing letters. In order to get a better understanding of type design, Leyla put a big emphasis on the learning of calligraphy. She also used printmaking to explore typography on different textures as well as to see how to improve the process of kerning.

in general. I discovered that I am particularly excited about the handmade aspect and the physicality of the craft while creating the sketches, prints or mockups for each project. A year ago, I have found myself deeply interested in Blackletter history and calligraphy. As a result, my main theme continued to be Blackletter this semester. The goal of my thesis was to research the history of Blackletter, its reputation and its reclamation by contemporary artists and designers - how it is being used today. Therefore, my thesis went through different stages to showcase this theme. The first outcome led to the creation of a newspaper dedicated to resources and articles about Blackletter. The second outcome is a thesis book that is hand-stitched with a handcrafted cover. The final outcome is a typeface design that is based on Blackletter calligraphy, with a more contemporary geometric twist to it.

Artist’s Statement Throughout the four years I spent at Paris College of Art, I established a particular interest towards graphic design and art

Blackletter newspaper

Thatcher’s quote

Chloe Tournier Decret Biography Chloé Tournier- Decret, more often known as KCLO, is a non-binary French Communication Designer, raised in between the United States and France. KCLO has a strong interest in involving political and gender-based topics into their work, such as dismantling the binary system and the importance of inclusivity and intersectionality. As an Editorial and Graphic Designer, they enjoy including a bold modern quirky edge to their creations, while exuding some kind of relatability. Some of their interests include the language of shapes, typography, screen-printing, posters, ceramics, as well as biking, baking and eating what was baked immediately. One of KCLO’s passions is experimenting with editorial design and illusive forms, as well as using design and ceramics to create shapes that challenge the stereotypical ideas of how gender is perceived in society through design, in hopes of breaking blinding cultural constructs. KCLO makes design choices that back up their values, such as choosing typefaces or imagery designed by gender non-conforming individuals. Their goal as a designer and creator is to utilise their work as a means to review set cultural norms and systems, as well as for social change, supporting basic human rights, with a focus on gender equality, intersectionality and educating the general public about what we can do to contribute for a more sustainable world. Artist’s Statement

art as mediums. Their thesis explored why gender inclusivity and intersectionality in marketing and packaging design is as fundamental for the future of design, as it is towards promoting a more sustainable world. They address how gendered design has led to confusing and unjust misrepresentation of gender, forcing a binary, two gender system made up solely of men and women. Chloé strongly believes that gender inclusive design is a response to the diversity of a dynamic society and aimed to unveil the truth behind what gender really embodies and display how design assists to reflect reality. CONFINED REFLECTIONS Confined Reflections is a series of illustrated posters during the first confinement from March – June 2020 in Paris, FR. The Black Lives Matter protests peaked in the USA on June 6, when half a million people turned out in nearly 550 protests across the nation. All while, globally, the coronavirus shutdowns led to a 17% drop in emissions by mid-spring, though that trend reversed as life began to resume. The lockdown led to less people driving, less shopping, and finding new ways to reduce disposable paper, a few things that help reduce the carbon emissions that drive climate change. KCLO’s goal for Confined Reflection was to create a response and message to the many significant global problems, that are unfortunately not new to the world, but keep arising again and again.

METHODS MAGAZINE - GENDER IN DESIGN + FKTB Campaign Chloé’s Thesis project consisted of a gender research magazine and an awareness campaign focused on apparel and street

website: https://kclodesign.com/ email: kclodesign@gmail.com instagram: @kclodesign @FKTB___

C.Reflections

Magazine photo

FASHION DESIGN

BFA

The art and business of fashion give form and function to clothing, a basic human need, imbuing it with meaning in the ever-evolving language of style. The Fashion Design courses at PCA are intimate and hands-on, allowing for each student to be closely followed by their instructor with undivided attention. Our classrooms emulate the working process of a professional design studio from conceptual drawings to the selection of colors and fabrics, as well as pattern-making and the construction of finished garments. Students acquire an understanding of tools, materials, construction techniques and textile design methods, enabling them to express their individual creative visions. Intensive concept development and design courses, workshops with industry professionals and the study of sustainable fashion business help students to develop originality and acquire a universal understanding of their craft. Beyond the school atelier, exposure to

trade fairs, designer shows and museum exhibitions all foster a keen understanding of the European marketplace. Students who wish to pursue a career in fashion design business can apply for transfer to Lin College’s BBA in Business of Fashion after the successful completion of their sophomore year at PCA, offering them a unique dual exposure to European and US markets. Visiting critics help familiarize students with the design requirements and specificities of various markets, while company-driven projects expose students to the real world challenges they will face in the business of style. Senior year culminates with the construction and presentation of a personal collection and design portfolio.

Viona Charles

Marlena Marie Prast

Viona Charles A Canadian-Russian artist based in Paris, Viona Charles has completed her BFA in Fashion Design with responsible design in mind. Producing clothes in slow fashion by keeping in mind quality over quantity. By incorporating her background in Fine Arts, she intertwines unconventional imagery and themes within her designs.

lolita

Marlena Marie Prast Biography Marlena Marie BFA fashion design major from Paris College of Art and a resident of the Fondation Des Etats Unis. As a designer, Marlena plays on the bitter understanding of what life is. Her objective is to create an inclusive brand that gets rid of the taboos surrounding mental health. She does this with the different sensory tools in each garment. She does not place a gender, ethnicity, or size on her designs in order for everyone to feel accepted, confident, and safe when in her looks. Artist’s Statement EXHALE is the senior thesis collection designed by Paris College of Art BFA student Marlena Marie in collaboration with MA Fashion Film/Photography student Alise King. Marlena’s designs always highlight inclusivity while challenging the stigmas surrounding mental health. She does so by creating high functioning and aesthetically pleasing garments that she has discreetly inserted sensory tools into. These tools aim to promote productivity and security for the wearer. This particular collection is inspired by Marlena’s personal journey with mental health. A journey many can relate to, the feeling as if you are drowning in cold waters and then coming to the surface and being able to breathe while the sun creates warmth for you, this is really represented in the color story. The concept of the film is to properly showcase Marlena’s designs while telling a short fashion story, playing off feelings of anxiety and moments of tension that transition to calm, peaceful moments that exude relief.

The Sculpture piece was inspired by a combination of Marlena’s collection as well as studying particularly what her anxieties are about and turning it into something beautiful, and facing it up front. It was done by plaster casting her own body and using a surplus of plaster and mixing textiles such as fabric to create certain textures and almost imitate the looks of skin and cellulite. Her sculpture collection will be a series that she plans to continue with other people, embracing the curves of the body and turning them from anxiety into an acknowledgment of beauty. These shapes will also help inspire silhouettes in her next collection.

email: marlenaprast@gmail.com website: https://marlenaprast7.wixsite.com/website instagram: @marlena.prast

FINE ARTS

BFA

“Teaching art is about initiating total involvement, passion, questioning and questioning the questioning, experimenting, process, investigating ideas, inventing and finding visual answers.” – Véronique Devoldère Chair of Fine Arts With Paris as its extraordinarily rich cultural setting, the PCA Fine Arts Department promotes the development of artistic skills, the expression of creative processes, and an informed awareness of how art practice intersects with current visual, cultural and societal concerns. Students gain a strong foundation in the artistic tradition via both established and new media, thus enriching their capacity for communication and expression as a whole. The curriculum balances a full investigation of traditional media: drawing, painting and sculpture, with extensive explorations in video, installation, performance, photography and digital imaging. The new focus program in the junior year allows students

to choose a 2D, 3D or 4D orientation. Elective courses in other departments open students to new and different methods and processes. Interdisciplinary practice provokes students to pursue and develop individual artistic modes of inquiry. Application of theory and criticism shape students’ ability to work and think critically and analytically. Courses in Art History and Critical Studies, critiques, debates and tutorials, and the considerable resources available in Paris, direct students to an informed exploration within both historical and contemporary art practices. Museum and gallery visits are an integral aspect of the curriculum. At the completion of their sophomore year, students can apply for transfer to Anna Maria College’s BA in Art Therapy, through a special articulation agreement between the two institutions.Senior year culminates with the construction and presentation of a personal collection and design portfolio.

Myra Crane

Yigu Lu

Miranda Mazuki

Myra Crane Biography Myra Crane is a Turkish American Fine Artist, born in Oceanside, California. She currently resides in Paris, France. Myra has lived and studied in five countries, including Australia, Germany, Turkey, France and the United States. From a young age, she has been drawn to creative outlets, whether these were music, drama, or the visual arts. Myra’s fascination, enjoyment and need to create has led her to pursue an education in Fine Arts. Focusing on 2D works, such as painting and drawing, Myra finds her voice through her use of a wide variety of artistic approaches and themes. Her artwork characterizes itself by its vibrant palette. Inspired by her hobbies and interests, Myra’s work investigates nature, visual translation, as well as her inner emotional world. Taking from her personal experiences, Myra uses them like a tool, which is helping her as a form of therapy. She has always been interested in many different avenues, and does not want to settle for one specific topic. Myra hopes to not only be an artist, but explore many different creative outlets. Artist’s Statement Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn to creative activities. As a Turkish American who has grown up traveling, I take inspiration from my experiences and my interaction with the world around me. I express my concepts most often using painting, drawing, and installation. I rely on my instincts and intuition during my

creative process. Inspired by certain facets of the human experience, such as time, sensation, pain and imagination, I find that my work stems from a place of empathy and emotion. Sensitive to the people and the environment around me, I vividly translate these subjects through a vibrant use of color. I experience life through color. Whether my subject matter is a person in distress or plants in a garden, there is an element of expansion and contraction that I feel. The colors breathe and move harmoniously. I have the freedom to let inspiration guide my work. My art strives to interpret real life events and human experience, in addition to taming my inner madness and emotions. The distress that I - like many other artists - battle with, goes hand in hand with how I view contemporary society. Pain is something all humans can experience. Using pain, anger and madness in my process turns the creative act into a form of therapy. I am therefore able to create a positive experience, through the making of my work. I am compelled by image-making. Art means everything to me, particularly in today’s society, which is very business and science oriented. My aim is for my work to bring color and creativity into a world that can sometimes feel very rigid. Therefore, my work is not only created for myself, but in the hopes of reaching out and connecting with others.

website: www.myracrane.com instagram: @myracraneart

Universes

Yigu Lu Artist’s Statement How could a person introduce herself if she doesn’t know who she is? During the Axial Age, cultures emerged and developed all around the world. People started to ask big questions, and most of them asked questions instead of giving answers. Many of those questions persisted for generations and remain to this day in all our heads. But the question that prevails today is: Is it worth it? While we are all busy buying this and buying that, busy following fashion, busy listening to the songs of the most popular singer... How do we avoid becoming a living machine? I feel like I can’t find purpose, can’t find the meaning of life. I feel so confused. On social media, people can easily influence each other, and it is rare to think by ourselves. It’s hard to choose from the amount of information available. It sometimes feels like new ideals have not appeared, but instead old ideals set aside. The current intellectuals are cyber intellectuals. There are only Google users, not thinkers. The answers are readily available for the problems at hand. Eat quickly, just like everything is fast food. I’m full. I don’t even want to keep thinking about it.

What Socrates’ philosophy can’t do, Epicurus’ can. Out of 1,000 or 10,000 people, as long as there are two or three people who feel it in their ears and their hearts, all did. If they are satisfied, you are satisfied. I want to know if all humans are taking the same path, and if I am one of them - if I have followed the same path. I want to figure out how to have a vision that can surpass what I have never seen before. I want to find a way to imagine not only what I’ve never seen, but also what the world outside my knowledge might be like. But today, I can hardly learn it from education. Today’s education is about educating people how to manage to live their material lives. This is the reason why I want to create art. I want to keep questioning myself, and keep finding the answers.

I feel like I’m incomplete. I don’t live, I don’t fight. I think that only disappointed and helpless people wonder why they live.

keep myself under constant surveillance

My own wishful thinking

Miranda Mazuki Biography Born in in Sumatera, Indonesia, Miranda Mazuki has been living and working in Paris since 2019. Having lived in multiple cities such as Singapore, Los Angeles, New York and started her own fashion label in Jakarta for four years, she moved to Paris thereafter to pursue her artistic practice. She uses her work to explore memories of traumas and childhood experiences; working with mixed media such as drawing, painting, sculpture and installation to create metaphors and dialogues of catharsis and ephemerality. Artist’s Statement Creating with my hands is an essential component in my artistic practice. I view the artistic process as a confrontation with material reality: each medium serves as a vehicle of catharsis. The realization of the individual works leads to the composition of series; the series’ conceptual nature and intentions reveal themselves progressively through the process of mixed media such as drawing, painting and sculpture. In the past, I have employed tools such as pencil and charcoal to investigate figurative forms, and used fluid materials such as ink, gouache and latex to explore abstract forms. Recently, my drawings have been expanding their expression in mixed media, such as tattooing on fruits, brushing ink on clay and pigmented wax on canvas. All the works, ranging in size, tend to depict a “mélange” of hybrid creatures and abstract forms that are imaginary and metaphorical.

Through painting in oils, reliefs and texture are sculpted on the surface of the canvas through brushwork. The environments of the paintings depict imagined landscapes, terrains suggesting an alternative universe. The suggestive figures which emerge in my paintings appear unsettling, erotic and tormented. The paintings’ scale ranges from small to large, on both stretched and un-stretched canvas. Sculpting allows me to investigate concepts that are deeply involved with memory. These sculptures are far from embodying a perfect form. Instead, they are dented and fragile – some pieces are presented as intentionally broken. The sculptures resemble a form of ephemerality; they display a metamorphosis that is caught in motion. The series of sculptures may be presented as an installation or can be viewed in the context of a dialogue with the drawings and paintings. My body of work often investigates memories of childhood and trauma, which leads to the continuous exploration of hybrid creatures, imagined universes and sanctuaries. Despite subjects considered sensitive and painful, the artworks do not embody sadness or grief. Instead, their expressions present a form of fiction and contemplation that are meant to be regarded as representations of memories.

INTERIOR DESIGN

BFA

Emphasis on Retail & Commercial Spaces “Interior design is the art of defining spaces that surround us…from the inside out. Whether within intimately small spaces or much larger schemes, within residential, commercial or work related places, the interior designer must demonstrate the ability to adapt and develop, way beyond simple decoration, subtle design proposals both sensitive to context and responsive to complex constraints and specific requirements.” – Alix de Mercey Chair of Interior Design The Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Interior Design encourages a thorough yet versatile design approach, following systematic and coordinated methodologies. With an emphasis on Retail and Commercial Spaces, the program is intended for undergraduate students aiming to become professional interior designers specialized in retail, commercial, exhibition and event spaces. Inter-disciplinary in nature and structure, the studio and the classroom serve as complementary spaces for design thinking and creative expression as well as technical and professional skills development.

The course builds up towards a final individual project and written thesis which is presented before a panel of critics, followed by a 6 month mandatory internship. The significant studio practice and the plurality of choices offered by this program prepare graduates for immediate insertion into the interior design field in Paris and internationally, or for entry into specialized Masters degree programs. Set within the unique context of Paris, with its rich historical and cultural heritage, prestigious and innovative interior design concepts and renowned leading figures in the field, the school is an ideal setting to pursue the development of a clear and personal creative direction within this discipline. At the completion of their sophomore year, students can apply for transfer to Anna Maria College’s BA in Art Therapy, through a special articulation agreement between the two institutions.Senior year culminates with the construction and presentation of a personal collection and design portfolio.

Luz Caballero

Lily Watson

Luz Caballero Biography Luz Caballero is an interior designer based in Paris, France. She grew up in Monterrey, Mexico until she decided to move to Paris to pursue her dream of being an interior designer at Paris College of Art. Throughout her studies, Luz was able to explore the different practices within the interior design field. She has worked on both residential and commercial projects. She had the opportunity to intern in an architecture firm in her hometown, Monterrey, where she worked on residential spaces. In her courses at university, she focused mainly on commercial spaces including a retail store, a restaurant and a fresh produce market. Luz’s designs always include playful concepts and her style is characterized by simple and clean shapes. For her senior thesis, Luz researched small Parisian

spaces and the theories of Functionalism. Following this investigation, she designed a building proposal called TWO². The building is made up from 3 different typologies: For a single person, for a young couple and for a young couple with a child. The typologies were created by units of 4 square-meters. After an analysis of human proportions and the scale of basic home necessities, it was discovered that for every function of a small home a unit of two by two meters fulfilled the necessities. Each typology consists of 4 function units: Eating, Living, Bathing and Resting. All of the apartments in the building are conceived differently, but they all follow the grid rule of the 4 square meter units as a guideline for design.

website: https://luzcdesign.glitch.me/

SECTION APT C: Section of Apartment Type “C” (Couple with a child)

SECTION APT B: Section of Apartment Type “B” (Couple)

Lily Watson Biography Lily Watson is a Canadian artist and designer graduating with a BFA in Interior Design. Prior to her time at PCA, Lily formally studied contemporary art and photography at Etobicoke School of the Arts. Her background in these fields continuously influences the multidisciplinary nature of her design practice and her ability to execute conceptually vigorous projects. Lily has worked as an Interior Design intern at the Toronto-based firm MJMA Architects and as a Graphic Designer and Creative Director for the virtual auction house Sunday Studios. In the third year of her undergraduate degree, Lily studied abroad at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and enrolled in critical theory courses that inspired her written thesis “Communalizing Reproduction: Designing for Democratic and Collectivized Carework in Contemporary Living Environments”. Her written work was informed by feminist critical theorists Tithi Bhattacharya and Nancy Fraser and

extensive research on the architectural history of communal living, thus synthesizing her interests in feminist theory and spatial design to imagine new and informed design solutions. Her thesis has guided her culminating degree project, a communal living environment located in Paris’ banlieue which proposes a socialist form of living, sharing, and dwelling through the collectivization of carework. Lily’s work is ultimately guided by the belief that the architecture, design, and planning of cities and contemporary living spaces has the potential to challenge late-capitalist structures of oppression by promoting equality, sustainability, and collectivity.

email: lilywatson99@gmail.com instagram: @lilyawatson

Multigenerational family residence in Downtown Brooklyn, 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY

BFA

“Contemporary photography goes beyond the technical concerns of mastering the technique; it is about the nature, the power of the content and how it can be used, because the image is not only a tool of transmission but also an instrument of understanding.” — Klaus Fruchtnis Chair of Photography The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography degree program balances analog and digital technologies with an emphasis on developing a creative identity and gaining a solid understanding of the image-making process. The program focuses on new types of visual storytelling: still image, moving image, and multimedia, with a curriculum that emphasizes transdisciplinary skill sets, and understands photography as a hybrid and as a contemporary art form. The curriculum is distinguished by its commitment not only to the technical aspects of image-making and production but also examines how photographs are disseminated, presented, discussed, used, documented, or archived: in short, how they function in today’s image-driven society. The department equally addresses current concerns as

ethics, engaging with the subject and the medium, questioning the position of the maker, and the market as well as the audience. Students leave PCA fully prepared for professional life, with a comprehensive knowledge of various production workflows associated with different commercial and artistic objectives. This includes the understanding of how to produce publications and exhibitions, from A-Z. The program combines technical knowledge, principles of photography, and image-making research and theory. Studio classes and labs conducted by professionals emphasize the mastery of contemporary techniques and professional practices, while theory-based and seminar courses help students develop their personal creative visions. Students continue to broaden their knowledge and skills through supportive art & design courses and electives. In the second year, students can specialize in Documentary Photography, Fashion Photography, and/ or the Constructed Image, and start working on long–term projects.

Ieva Astrauskaite

Yannic Eicher

Ieva Astrauskaite Biography Born in 1997 in Kaunas, Lithuania, Ieva Astrauskaitė is a documentary and fine arts photographer, currently living and working between Kaunas, Lithuania and Zug, Switzerland. Ieva has been a freelance photographer since 2015. Although she started out producing digital imagery, Ieva primarily uses 35mm today. Her choice of subject matter for her photographic work stems from her interest in the evolving beauty industry and the application of its values and priorities in today’s society. Beauty standards affect people’s behaviors, emotions, and mental health as well as the way they view the world. As a documentary photographer, Ieva captures such changes in our society and questions them morally, expressing her opinion in an attempt to raise awareness. Ieva’s goal is to make people think and question the environment they live in, so that they understand the importance of contemporary values, which they might usually overlook. Artist’s Statement As an artist with an eye for detail, I seek to go towards a more profound representation of the subjects at hand. My intention is to draw the viewers’ attention to the “here and now.” I do this by focusing on the insignificant - those little things one passes by every day without noticing. By capturing and highlighting these elements, I hope to make the viewers understand that nothing should be taken for granted. My primary inspiration for my work is people interacting with one another and with their environment. By exploring and analyzing the evolution of the beauty industry and its standards through the

medium of photography, I can express my opinion and try to raise awareness. The idea behind my new photographic project “Parisianité en Couleur” was to capture Parisian people and the city of Paris how it is today. I intended to convey my own vision and truth about Paris and the people living in it. The purpose of the project is to remind the viewers of the highlights of Paris, its culture and values. The project not only captures the essence of Paris, but also the city’s growing modernization. I wandered around in Paris, taking different directions with no specific purpose, and took the time to watch the city unfold in front of my eyes. I almost started seeing Paris as it was described by Ernest Hemingway. I also noticed that even though Paris is holding onto its traditions and heritage, the city is becoming more and more modern. The old stereotypes and clichés are being replaced with new ones; the bicycle culture is transforming into an electronic scooter culture, early Sunday morning “boulangerie” visits are evolving into the more comfortable door to door delivery option... It is scary to think that Paris may lose its charm and uniqueness due to advanced technologies, creating new trends and stereotypes. For this very reason, I picked up my 35mm film camera and went on a journey to capture the true Parisian essence, hoping that I would not be too late to try and save it through my photographs. I believe that this project will become a nostalgic reminder of what Paris and its people are all about and show what is worth saving and cherishing.

website: ievaastrauskaite.com instagram: @ievaastrauskaite

Yannic Eicher Biography Yannic is a freelance photographer from Zug, Switzerland. His passion for photography began in his teenage years. After receiving an old Zenit 35mm camera as a gift, he began to experiment with analog photography and the image-making process. After his military service, he moved to Paris to start an education in Fine Art Photography. His interests include landscape, architecture and minimalism. Influenced by the old masters of film photography, German Romanticism and the New Objectivity movement, Yannic strives to create clean and aesthetic photographs with a passion for black and white. His subject matters mainly depict landscapes and urban environments, and he continually explores their relationship, both with himself and one another. Although skilled in both the analog and digital photographic mediums, he remains passionate about analog photography and still practices the skill today. He is dedicated, reliable and always striving for perfection, whatever the assignment.

they relate to each other, and in the process question their own relationship with their environment. By using photography as a visual language, I am able to convey these personally intriguing moments where I connect with my environment, in an attempt to find their, often hidden, beauty. My photography is not only a representation of my longing for nature, but also an exploration of my childhood memories. Since I was a child, my parents would take me to the mountains and the journey to get there fascinates me to this day. Through my work I am able to recreate the experiences and memories I had as a child to find out more about myself and my identity in the process. My work is usually printed on high quality matte paper, in black and white and in various sizes. The matte paper compliments the black and white aesthetics, and the colour choice adds to the element of romanticism in my work, but also attests of the passing of time and the notion of looking back into my own past.”

Artist’s Statement My most recent works depict my journey through my current environment in Paris and how it intrigues me, but I also explore the connection I have with nature and my longing for home. My work aims at introducing the viewer to my fondness for nature and urban environments, how

website: www.yanniceicher.com instagram: @yanniceicher

DESIGN FOR SOCIAL IMPACT MA

Do you want to contribute to societal change? Do you see issues around you that you think could be improved or solved? Are you creative and entrepreneurial? Are you looking to work with like-minded people? Paris College of Art joins forces with MakeSense in this one-year Master’s program (MA) in Design for Social Impact that equips citizen designers with the critical thinking (ethics, research methods), practical (design thinking, entrepreneurship, prototyping), and soft (governance, leadership, networking) skills to successfully develop and lead design projects that will bring positive societal changes. The guiding question for this program is: How can design change the world? Students work with faculty and partner organizations to research and design a solution to a societal problem that they have identified. Each student develops

an individual project to research and prototype a solution for. Students have worked on issues as varied as plastic recycling in the home, refugee integration through sports, promoting ethical consumer choices, reducing food waste, designing inclusive clothing, promoting slow fashion, or developing curricula to raise awareness of mental health. In the first semester, students develop problem-solving skills (design thinking, social entrepreneurship, ethical reasoning, leadership, prototyping) and research the issue that they have identified, and in the second semester, they will develop a design solution that can be tested and implemented. The MA in Design for Social Impact draws from the expertise of international faculty members and the network of the MakeSense community of social entrepreneurs.

Suzanne Anhouri

Alexandra Childs

Vandyaa Lakkaraju

Carolina Patiño

Kymberly Reid

Travis Suzaka

Raffaella Zampieri Bof

MANIFESTO 2020 DESIGN FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

Who are we? We are the MDES class of 2021, a group of eight culturally and professionally diverse designers who have come together in Paris to broaden our horizons. We each have a common desire to help design a better world. Taking inspiration from our various cultural backgrounds spanning between India, USA, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Lebanon and the UK: This is our manifesto for the socially responsible designer and for the future MDES cohort. It is our aim to rejoin the workforce with a renewed vision of how we can take part in designing for a better world. This document of beliefs and goals is meant to be a framework to question our intentions and the impacts of what we create.

Our 20 Goals as Designers It is clear for us that a post COVID-19 world needs to adopt an agile approach that centers on compassion and awareness. Here are our twenty goals we hope to achieve and live by:

Setting the Context A time capsule of our world in 2020

4. Raise awareness of the various applications of design in social innovation. 5. Create with pure intentions.

Numbers of diseases both mental & physical are rising at an alarming rate without forewarning. We are living in times where people’s interaction with each other in person has become painfully limited. At the same time, spewing hate hiding in anonymity has dramatically increased on social & mass media. Natural disasters like floods, drought, death of marine life, rise in temperatures are a part of daily headlines.The world as we understand it, is going through a transition phase to reorganise itself to embrace it’s diversity. Discussions on gender, race, religion, technology, health and human rights are debated upon on a daily basis.

1. To be open to the exchange of thought and opinion in order to expand our horizons. 2. Be mindful of lived experiences, belief systems and cultural differences. 3. Be mindful of misrepresentation of other cultures, people, and their experiences, strive to be informed and design with respect.

6. Design with love and awareness. Be conscious of the impacts of what we create. 7. Prioritize making our designs accessible and inclusive to all (in terms of users, understanding, consideration etc.) 8. Consider the environmental ramifications of what you produce (material sourcing, longevity of product use) 9. Prioritize social well-being and minimize harm to others within the design process and outcome.

10. Design with empathy of the future users and with as much awareness to the design’s potential impact. 11. Avoid plagiarism. 12. Research to create with a purpose. 13. Promote diversity and inclusion within society and our careers 14. Be humble. Stay humble. We will not allow the ego to obstruct our goals. 15. Collaborate to rise up together, competition is a concept of the past. 16. Create being politically and socially relevant. Be conscious of the fact that what we design is inherently politicized.

Summary: Through reflection and dialogue, we have woven our shared goals and beliefs into a moral fabric that we as designers can incorporate in our practice. Our 20 goals reflect the mindset we would like to maintain as working designers to ensure that everything we do and creative is ethically and environmentally responsible. Within the current context, as designers for social impact, we are focused on fair collaboration, cultural awareness, equality, inclusion, social well-being, and empathy. We realize the goals are not absolute and there are exceptions that will arise. The 20 goals are not a requirement for all designers to follow but a set-point that we strive to recognize as designers passionate about social change.

17. Be open and responsive to critique. 18. As leaders we will promote truth, empathy, humility, inclusion, collaboration and transparency. 19. We believe it is our responsibility as designers to deal with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. 20. Use our platform to promote equality and elevate underrepresented voices.

Suzanne Anhouri Biography Suzanne is a Beirut-born designer, now based in Paris. She earned a Bachelor and Master’s degree in interior design from ALBA – Balamand in Beirut. She founded her own design practice, Siinstudio, in 2017 and worked mostly on commercial projects, such as retail, offices, and restaurants. Her work has been featured in various magazines such as Wallpaper and L’Orient-Le Jour. She favored working with emerging brands, exploring the mission to render spaces in a way that profoundly conveyed their values. These experiences enriched her with knowledge on the challenges and gratifications of building healthy structures, creating meaningful storytelling and having either direct social impact (by working with minorities for example) or indirect impact (by helping the local industry). Those encounters eventually led her to launch a side initiative focused on kids. Her motto was clear; produce items that would create awareness, while keeping the production local. Her handcrafted softies represent empowering figures, and their purpose is to initiate storytelling about inspiring journeys and ways to make a difference. Because she also wanted the products to be accessible, she partnered with an NGO which distributes toys to children refugees in camps. In parallel, she taught at the Lebanese Academy for Fine Arts (ALBA) from which she had graduated. Staying within the academic world kept her in a research mode, not settling on acquired notions or intellectual

comfort zones. Teaching deeply shaped the person she is today and remains in her opinion one of the most fundamental contributions one can make. Today, she finds herself in search for more meaning and hopes to create further impact in her future projects or ventures. Her goal is to use education to raise awareness through social entrepreneurship. Artist’s Statement PROJECT | onohi As a thesis subject, she researched how playthings can foster a cognitive experience through colors. By training the chromatic sense in a qualitative manner, colors become a language that can be harnessed as a pedagogical medium. In line with previous educators such as Montessori and Froebel, she focused on creating abstract material for open play: Onohi. Through a chromatic exploration set that she designed, she hopes to lay the foundation for educators and toy makers to make use of colors more meaningfully and mindfully. This kit includes optical and visual didactic tools that serve different objectives such as: shades discrimination, visual storytelling, color associations and color memory. This material could be used for color-related workshops and adapted based on the users and outcome. It can also be customized for toys in relation to colors.

journey earth game board, 2020

Alexandra Childs Biography Alexandra Childs is a British interior designer and founder of Studio Alexandra, a UK based interior design firm with projects around Europe. After graduating in 2010 from the University of Manchester with a BA in Art History, Alexandra transitioned into interior design by way of design school in London, where she won the “Living Etc.” award for creative and contemporary design as part of her final project. This was based around a community indoor allotment system, with collaboration and cooperation at its core, a theme which reappeared in her MA thesis for PCA. Alexandra worked for 8 years in the luxury sector of interior design on international residential and commercial projects. In 2018 she set up Studio Alexandra to focus her attention on projects with a positive environmental impact and a collaborative approach to design. Alexandra joined the MA course in Design for Social in order to consolidate her transition to using design for social change, specifically within the interior design industry. She was inspired by various initiatives set up in the UK during 2020 which were tackling the lack of diversity in this field. Creating pathways for students into design careers has been at the root of many of her projects at PCA, but she has also enjoyed immersing herself in new topics. One such example would be a group project which broached the sensitive subject of violence against women in France.

after the pandemic. Co-working spaces are set to increase by 158% as remote working becomes the norm within many professional fields. These spaces often have a social or environment initiative at their core. Exploring how localised co-working spaces can better serve their communities with a focus around connection and collaboration, Alexandra’s aim was to find a solution to turn co-working spaces into integral “third spaces” within societies, and to tackle the lack of diversity within co-working spaces. Covid-19 has had a huge effect on youth unemployment rates. Her final project therefore revolves around creating meaningful connections between sixth form students from diverse backgrounds and co-working members, in order to create opportunities for young people. As we face another recession, Alexandra’s final project looks to combine professional resources and expertise at co-working spaces with the career’s curriculum in schools. Her project, Elev8, provides a one-stop-shop of resources for teachers supporting students in their careers, including mentoring and work experiences. It is also a local, social initiative to which co-working members can contribute – empowered to support future professionals. At the heart of Alexandra’s project are communities, and a dedication to bringing people together after a time of separation and elevating those with limited access to opportunities.

Artist’s Statement Alexandra’s MA thesis and final design project are centred around some of the key issues raised by the Covid-19 pandemic, namely the impact on community and the widening of inequalities that have emerged as a result and the rise of the remote work movement. In her thesis Alexandra explores how workplaces could, in the future, play a central role as communities begin to repair themselves

website: www.studioalexandra.co.uk email: Alichilds@studioalexandra.co.uk isntagram: @studio_alexandraldn

Vandyaa Lakkaraju Biography Vandyaa Lakkaraju is a social entrepreneur based in India. She co-founded Ishma Accessories LLP to redesign perishing Indian handicrafts and help them find a place in the lives of urban Indians. She believes that handicrafts and handlooms are the answer to today’s global climate crisis. Her enterprise won the Socent Fellowship Program and was incubated by WE-Hub, a Government of Telangana initiative, for outstanding innovation in rural livelihoods through design intervention. She stands to be the pioneer in India for transforming Leather Puppetry Craft. Through her enterprise, she supports four handicraft artisan communities in her home state in India. Designing spaces for children with special needs is her latest design adventure. Outside of design she enjoys folk music, collecting tribal face masks and offbeat travelling. Her quest to understand the workings of social enterprises based in a different social-economic context than hers brought her to Paris College of Art.

Artist’s Statement Her thesis explores the workings of slow fashion accessories brands that run a viable business while promoting anti-consumerism. How do sales and mindful buying go hand-in-hand? Does the existence of slow fashion businesses extend beyond protesting against mindless creation and consumption? What are some of the learnings she can take back home with her to implement in her own business? This quest inspired her to adopt a zerowaste lifestyle and infused her with energy to strengthen her business. Her blog, Pisinari Pilla was conceived to break the stereotype of traditional Indian lifestyle habits being unfashionable and support many others like her to adopt a slow-lifestyle in the urban Indian context.

Carolina Patiño Biography Born in 1993, in Bogota, Colombia, Carolina is passionate about design in all of its forms. A frustrated interior designer, crazy about organization, sustainable fashion and Pinterest, her work showcases her skills as an art director, and designer. Her designs are enriched by the experiences she gained from working in agencies, and with a wide variety of clients including: Ogilvy & Mather, DDB Colombia, McCANN Worldgroup, Havas Media, among others. The experience of living in different cultures has enriched her thinking and the way in which she executes projects. She completed her BFA in Advertising at Savannah College of Art & Design (2016), where she had the opportunity to study abroad in France and Hong Kong. Her passion for design, fashion and social impact brought her to complete the master’s in Design with Social Impact with which she hopes to become an increasingly comprehensive designer whose work contributes positively to the world. Artist’s Statement The subject of Carolina’s thesis and project research was inspired by the incredible work done by certain Colombian social enterprises, including the brand Wonder For People. By observing their collaborative design process in which luxury accessory designers work hand in hand with indigenous communities to create wearable pieces of art. Carolina gained deeper understanding of the fashion industry, the supply chain and the impact on local indigenous communities in Colombia. Using Wonder For People

as the case study, she observed how they were able to maintain a respectful dialogue and exchange of knowledge, culture and tradition with local communities. This experience has deepened her understanding of how essential it is for a designer to be aware of the ethical issues within their own design process, and how important it is for consumers to demand transparency and traceability from the brands they buy. Her project, Koleg Experiences, answers the challenge of how to acknowledge the skills and creativity of Colombia’s indigenous communities. Koleg is a platform, where users have access to a variety of experiences; from travel, tours, handcrafts and luxury fashion. All experiences are made and regulated by the indigenous communities. The profits collected from these experiences go directly to a specific cause set by each community. All products and experiences are made and guided by each indigenous community, under fair-trade, ethical and sustainable business practices. Koleg allows communities to promote and manage the experiences. It is a platform created by and for Colombian legacy to be experienced by all. Koleg, live, sense & thrive with Colombian indigenous communities.

email: carolinapatino93@gmail.com website: www.mcapat.com

Kymberly Reid Biography Kymberly Reid was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica but later moved to Brampton, Canada along with her family. As a young immigrant, often traveling between Jamaica and Canada, she was always aware of the vastly different socio-economic environments in the two countries. Her ever-present awareness of the differences led her to the question: why are some communities more economically stable than others? Kymberly’s academic path has been much of a quest to better understand her early observations and questions. In 2017, she graduated with an undergraduate degree from McGill University in Anthropology, with minor concentrations in Social Entrepreneurship and Communication Studies. Since then, Kymberly continues to expand her awareness and challenge her perspectives, having lived in 4 countries and traveling to 22 others through 5 different continents. Professionally, Kymberly has worked with various organizations having diverse social missions, from increasing financial literacy for young Canadians, mental health rehabilitation, waste repurposing, and empowering entrepreneurs through Microfinance. She was also a founding member for a non-profit start-up, Zua, that used micro-insurance to ensure financial security for small-scale farmers in rural communities of Zambia. In 2021, Kymberly will earn a Master of Art in Design for Social Impact from Paris College of Art. She strives to continue on a path of using her creative thinking, communications skills, and entrepreneurial experiences to help deliver impact solutions to social and environmental challenges.

Artist’s Statement Kymberly made the decision to pursue a Master of Art in Design for Social Impact, after 3 years of working in marketing and communications for social enterprises and non-profits. This was fuelled by a desire to expand her design thinking and entrepreneurial skills to expand how she could work to amplify the visions of mission-driven organizations. Throughout the program, she became interested in exploring various social and environmental challenges including domestic violence, economic inequalities for immigrants in France, and water scarcity. In addition to researching new societal challenges, she also explored new business models and innovative problem-solving techniques such as biomimicry. Throughout the program, Kymberly developed a thesis topic that explored the multifaceted issue of water scarcity through the lenses of biomimicry. It was a challenge to improve her creative thinking skills by researching new innovation strategies found in the natural environment. The results of the research were an overview of nature-inspired solutions to help decentralize the water supply in overpopulated cities that would ensure enough water for everyone. Through her final thesis project, Kymberly designed a rainwater-greywater recycling hybrid system for homes to address the challenges explored in her research. She hopes to continue working on this solution to provide access to clean drinking water while overcoming environmental harm from overuse of water resources.

globally experience water stress or scarcity. This means they have limited access to clean for drinking or other domestic purposes.

Rain Loop helps to tackle this water scarcity by decentralizing water supply in homes. It is a hybrid system of rainwater capturing and greywater recycling which prolongs the supply of rainwater throughout both wet and dry seasons.

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Rain is captured in the roof gutter and large debris is filtered out.

3 After filtration, the water is stored

The water passes through

4 debris like leaves as well as

2 a filtration and purification system.

underground before it’s pumped to the roof storage tank for use.

A first filtration system removes most particles.

Greywater from the shower and other utilities is filtered and purified before use again. Greywater is also passed to utilities requiring low water quality like the toilet.

Travis Suzuka Biography Born in Seattle, WA Travis studied international communication at the University of Washington. He spent his last semester abroad at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan, where he grew closer to his cultural roots. Upon graduation, Travis returned to Japan where he spent a year teaching English to elementary school students in a rural town north of Tokyo. In 2013, he moved to New York and began work at a Japanese woodblock print gallery, excited to utilize his cultural expertise to educate others. After seven years working as an in-house graphic designer, Travis began studies at PCA to recalibrate his career path and expand his design skillset. He believes designers and are the creators of the lens that humans rely on to navigate and make sense of the world, and thus have the power to influence and induce impactful change. Travis devotes a portion of his free time volunteering for several grassroots organizations in the United States working to fight police brutality and dismantle institutional racism. Weaving his design skills with a curiosity for social justice and attention to intersectional solidarity, his hope is to engage the methodologies learned at PCA to foster safe spaces that nurture imagination and contribute to making a world that’s better for everyone. Artist’s Statement While growing up in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, Travis was always puzzled by how the Far East lies just to the west of where he was and questioned how these seemingly geographical markers were constructed. During his master’s year at PCA, Travis

re-addressed this dilemma of his childhood, focusing his academic research on how the notions of East and West were inscribed through visual art and design. His master’s thesis, titled “The Social and Economic Impacts of Cultural Appropriation in Art and Design,” investigates the correlation of cultural appropriation to the apparatus of colonialism and the ideological frameworks of European imperialism. For his final project, he continued with the topic by tackling the challenge of “how can artists and designers work with inspiration in a way that prevents the outcome of cultural appropriation?”Through interviews with designers and artists, as well as individuals who’ve been impacted by cultural appropriation, he wanted to find a solution that balances creative freedom with justice for the misrepresented and exploited. With this research, Travis created the Initiative to Stop the Practice of Othering (InSPO) as a resource for those working in the creative industry to learn and kickstart dialogue around cultural appropriation. Amongst the features of the website is a “List of Questions for the Designer” that guides the creative in considering the intent and outcomes of their productions. Rather than providing a formula that dictates what is and is not cultural appropriation, this tool is meant to encourage the visitor to reflect, listen to the voices from the most impacted, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Presented in a comprehensible and applicable manner, Travis’ hope is that InSPO will serve as an impetus for designers and artists to start making more socially conscious decisions in their creative process.

email: tsuzaka@gmai.com website: www.travissuzaka.com instagram: @tttravy

Raffaella Zampieri Bof Biography Raffaella Zampieri Bof, born in Brazil, is an entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience in the Real Estate Market and in Real Estate Law. She is currently the owner and director of two companies: Rara Imoveis, a real estate agency in São Bernardo do Campo, in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil; and Rara Coworking, a coworking space in the same location. As a community manager, she is driven by a strong sense of community. She is the creator of a coworking space that focuses on changing the mindset on how people work and connect to each other by several interaction mechanisms. She is very active within the SECOVI-SP (São Paulo State Housing Syndicate), the largest Union for the real estate market in Latin America. She is also a member of the Group of New Entrepreneurs (GNE) of the SECOVI-SP. She is passionate about innovation and coordinates several projects regarding innovation, including Rara Meetups about the journey of startup, the digital market and the challenges of entrepreneurship. She is the founder of the Rara Women Ahead Meetups Project, an organizer of the Startup Weekend (ABC Women’s Edition) of TechStar (United States based startup accelerator), and is involved in projects related to real estate market innovation within the SECOVI-SP. Her passion for entrepreneurship, collaboration and social impact led her to apply to the Master’s degree in Design for Social Impact in order to become a social impact entrepreneur and help Brazilian NGOs. Artist’s Statement Her thesis explores how positive social impact based on collaboration can more efficiently address the seventeen

Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Although many improvements have been made in the social impact field, the actions currently taken remain insufficient to accomplish these goals for the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”– creating an imperative need for innovative and collaborative solutions. Her thesis looks at how populations and organizations can best face these challenges through collaboration. It analyzes tools such as crowdsourcing and crowdfunding, and looks at the characteristics of a properly built community, and how these can increase the velocity and create the scale necessary to achieve positive social impact – thus helping the world become a more sustainable, participatory and egalitarian place. Her research demonstrates that the growing hyperconnectivity of our society - due to the spreading of Internet access and the evolution of new technologies has allowed people to take matters into their own hands and create impactful protest movements and online activism initiatives through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. The growing number of participants has enabled a new power to emerge; populations share ideas and achieve successful changes to address the SDGs. From a safety perspective, her study emphasizes that properly built communities allow crowdsourcing and crowdfunding technologies to function properly. Her thesis investigates how these crowdfunding and crowdsourcing communities can connect people who are willing to volunteer and work with Brazilian NGOs in order to help them overcome some of their biggest challenges to become more sustainable.

DRAWING MA/MFA

Designed for students whose creative practice is predominately rooted in drawing. Candidates for the program will be seeking new contexts and experiences for developing established/existing practices. Drawing is understood as more than a support or preparation for other disciplines: it is considered the work. Each core workshop draws upon the individual investigations and questions arising and evolving in the studio as a starting point and provide the students with new contexts to rethink their work – to test out methods, materials, and ideas. The aim is to explore contemporary and emerging approaches to drawing alongside the continued acquisition and practice of academic skills. There is an expectation that students will explore a convergence rather than the opposition of the two. At PCA Students may choose either the 1-year MA Degree Track or the 2-year MFA (Terminal) Degree Track. The first year is common to both degree tracks with the exception of a spring semester Degree Project for MA candidates. MA students who choose to continue into the MFA would be required to complete the 3rd and 4th semesters and the MFA Thesis Project.

The program is designed with an emphasis on professional practice and research, and, for the MFA program, with a focus on the teaching of drawing, providing students with possibilities to further their work outside the context of the school. Students are taught how to apply ‘drawing’ in its many forms to unfamiliar and diverse situations and are encouraged to invent projects that will continue beyond the scope of the MA/MFA. Every student will take part in the form of collaboration where they will bring their drawing practice into dialogue/ conversation/exchange with artists, designers and creative professionals from other fields. The collaborations are devised according to each student’s needs to challenge each individual and are expected to provoke potentially radically different departures for their work. The program is open to any applicant who has successfully completed an undergraduate degree (BFA, BA, BSc, BID, BArch, etc.) with a studio component, or acquired basic technical skills (e.g., drawing) through other educational or professional experiences. (Applicants without a BFA are required to have at least two semesters of Art History. A portfolio will be required demonstrating a fine arts practice).

Ann Dahlman

Helene Fromen

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Isabel Moura

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Yutavia George

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Ann Dahlman Biography Ann Dahlman was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has been making art her whole life. She comes from a very creative family and because she was a shy child, art was a way to express herself in a quiet way. She has a Bachelor’s in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making with a minor in Art History from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. After graduating, she stayed in the area and began working at a bakery. Baking and cake decorating felt for her like a practical and purposeful way to continue to create. After a year, she decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Georgia, to become a pastry chef. The next couple of years, she worked in bakeries in both Georgia and California and after sometime, she moved back to Michigan where she began working as a teaching assistant in early childhood special education. She enjoyed this work environment and was encouraged by her peers to pursue a Master’s degree to become a full-time teacher. She decided on an MFA as a combination of her undergraduate degree and her newfound passion for teaching. She found the MFA Drawing program in Paris an exciting adventure for continuing her education. After being out of the studio for ten years, her time at PCA felt like a jumpstart to her artistic creation. While she still hopes to find work as a Fine Arts educator at the university level, she has decided that she wants to open a university-style art facility open to a public of all ages and abilities. There, she hopes to offer weekly classes and activities along with an open studio for painters, potters, crafters and more. Her dream is for her studio to become a community for nine-to-fivers to relax after work before heading back home, a place for those with developmental disabilities to be able to find purpose and a place for retirees to gather with their friends and make new ones.

Artist’s Statement My work is inspired by nature. During my time at PCA, my body of work has become what I describe as “Fake Nature”. My work mimics natural forms while at times using artificial materials, colors and shapes. Growing up, we had a very minimalist lifestyle, and gardening was our way to escape, experiment and create. With gardening, there is planning and routine. The plants are chosen at a specific time of year, the soil and the watering are scheduled. But the outcome is always a surprise. It’s this outcome that creates the garden, how it is manipulated. This is my work. There’s a plan, including materials and a timeframe. Then the process of creation begins and what comes from it is what I am left to work with. I am very conscious of the environment and of waste, and as a respect to my inspiration I try to be conservative and resourceful. With this mentality, I use what I have made to create my final pieces. Each element has a history and a process that we have gone through together to get to this final piece. This process allows a certain freedom from expectations and helps to develop an organic and honest story within each piece. My work has been described as minimalist, at first sight. With simple forms that have been layered to create the depth of each piece, the journey to this final state is an extensive process of developing and rebuilding natural forms, which I manipulate to fit artificial nature aesthetics. By manipulating the materials, I emphasize their strengths and create detail without clutter, which ultimately gives a certain a delicacy to each piece. As in nature, the layers and repetitions of each object create an environment and become a collective. This is how I created my gardens.

email: dahlman.ann@gmail.com instagram: @dahlman_ann

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Helene Fromen Biography I am a 49 years old French artist and researcher. I live in Paris, France with my daughter Ella. My art practice revolves around drawing, establishing drawing protocols to create new forms and performing them live and/or collaboratively. Deconstructing and allowing multiple metamorphoses, acknowledging variance is a transversal thread in my practice. I am the co-founder and facilitator of Modèle vivant.e, a queer life drawing workshop based in Paris and now online. I appreciate the collective aspect of the workshop as a community but also for exploring collaborative possibilities. I received a degree in Management from Paris Dauphine University in 1994 and a degree in Political Sciences from Paris Sorbonne University in 1995. I have worked for twenty years in the Internet media industry. I am currently completing an MFA in Drawing at Paris College of Art. Artist’s Statement In my artistic practice as in my research, I am mainly interested in the body in relation with the notions of identity and otherness, as well as the gestures as traces and minimal yet shared language. My work intertwines poetical or minimal ways of doing with political intention: as a result, the tension between delicacy and roughness, crystallized in the oxymoron “radical softness”, characterizes my art practice. My work encompasses drawings, performance and experimental collaborative protocols and collages. The simplicity of

drawing, which requires neither sophisticated tools nor preparation is key in my practice. In my work, I am exploring the real-time decision-making process that is at stake when drawing. My overall intention is to get rid of everything that seems superfluous. I deconstruct into elementary pieces whatever I am working on or from. By doing so, I aim at bringing out the possibilities of variation, transformation and agency. Collage is for me an alternative way to tell a story no longer by embodying it through figurative drawing but by opening up a space. Collage is also an impossible puzzle that defies logic and frame. Everything in the processes I use and every decision I make contribute to the making of singular creatures and organic forms which remain elusive, enigmatic or in unstable balance, whose breathing is perceptible. My research aims at investigating how the long-standing practice of life drawing can become a transfeminist resource. Mobilizing gender studies and queer methodologies were instrumental in overcoming my embarrassing fascination for this practice. When facilitating Modèle vivant.e, my intention is to reverse the traditional power relationship between the artists and the model for them to experiment empowerment through self-determination and embodiment. Drawing from life is now both enjoyable and meaningful, contributing to disseminate alternative views on gender identities and make visible dissident bodies out of the binary conservative framework.

website: www.helenefromen.com instagram: www.instagram.com/hfromen

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Isabel Moura Biography Born in 1993, Isabel Moura grew up in Rio de Janeiro. Leaving to complete a BFA in Architectural Design from Parsons the New School for Design in New York while interning in architecture and interior design offices, Isabel experienced the quotidian of a working life in her degree. Finding the reality of pursuing architecture professionally less exciting than its theory, Isabel moved back to her hometown for the freedom it provided to pursue architecture, design, and fine art as a freelance. While exploring her ideas in oil painting and embroidery, she grew curious to deepen her studies with a MA in Drawing at Paris College of Art. By studying drawing, Isabel was able to connect her inner worlds of architecture and art by the openness of the medium, as well as strengthen her bond for applied arts that she finds in textile design.

By mapping out the subtle structures of the living environment, I give form and mass to these elements and reconsider our cohabitation with the surrounding architecture. With a process that gives equal importance to the acts of addition and subtraction, I seek to find the beauty that lies in the unobserved and the overlooked, discovering their possible dimensions that are hidden from our gaze. Materiality and gesture are in the forefront of my practice, as these added layers further connect my works to the spaces they lie within, echoing each other in an intuitive manner.

Currently based in Paris working internationally as a contemporary artist and as a textile designer. Artist Statement My artwork explores the shapes of the negative spaces we inhabit and their relationship to the constraining surfaces.

instagram: @isabelmouraisabel

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Yutavia George Biography Yutavia George is an artist and educator. After earning a Bachelors of Art in art education from the University of the Bahamas, she instructed high school and college prep art and design for five years contributing to several art education workshops. During this period, Yutavia George also participated in several national Bahamian art exhibitions such as NE7 “Antillean: an Ecology”, 2014 and Transforming Spaces, SWELL, 2016; international showcases such as “Caribbean: Together Apart”, Contemporary Artists from the Caribbean, Venice, Italy, 2014 and contributed to diverse artist-in-residence programs such as Bei Geo artist in residency, Redgate Gallery, Beijing, China, 2016 were she held drawing focused workshops. Yutavia George moved to Paris, France, to attain a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Drawing.

work seeks to reflect natures crucial impact on humans as sunlight can affect plant growth. She is concerned with the seemingly temporal shifts of daylight and the hydrologic cycle. George often varies her process by working in series and creating drawing tools to extend her practice. While being influenced by a range of contemporary drawing practitioners, Her drawings can seem stationary or sequential. Georges work may highlight one’s innate senses while emphasising void in space, constructions through line and gesture, development of line versus space interaction and deconstruction of object or tool to showcase rhythmic alterations. Yutavia George pushes the boundaries of drawing aesthetics and manipulates balance and critical thinking with creativity and spontaneity.

Artist’s Statement Yutavia George’s current work explores identity and one’s ever-changing environment. Her work is concerned with tracing time and mapping changes within the physical space. She manipulates various drawing media to convey physiological and psychological shifts caused by environmental changes. Her

website: www.Yutaviageorge.com instagram: www.instagram.com/Yutaviageorge

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Outside 2-3 2020 Ink on paper

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Asemic notes 2020 Ink on paper

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FASHION FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY MA

The Master of Arts (MA) in Fashion Film and Photography is a one-year program in Photography, with a specific accent on fashion, dedicated to emerging photographers who wish to specialize in creating still and moving images for the fashion industry. Professional practice of fashion photographers today increasingly includes film, so moving image will be taught alongside still. This program meets the demands of an expanding market for fashion advertising through storytelling in photography and film, using social media and capitalizing on the ability to reach large audiences at a reduced cost through online marketing. Many young fashion brands rely entirely on films distributed online, and festivals devoted to fashion films, like the one pioneered in Paris by Diane Pernet, and this phenomenon is doubtlessly growing. Students with an undergraduate background in photography and demonstrated technical skills (black & white and color photography, light, common software programs for editing) will be considered for admission. The program combines technical knowledge and principles of photography/film research and theory. Studio classes and

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workshops conducted by professionals emphasize the mastery of contemporary techniques and professional practices, while theory-based and methodology courses help students develop their personal creative visions. Thanks to internships during the fashion weeks held in Paris several times a year, students will be well prepared to enter the job market and will have started to create a professional network. Students specialize in photography/film, choosing to produce a final portfolio of either still or moving images, while at the same time continuing to broaden their knowledge and skills through supportive art & design courses and electives. Since graduates are expected to join the job market upon graduation, the focus of the program is on studio and research, rather than on scholarship and preparation for teaching. The structure of this degree is comprised of 3 types of classes: Studio: Creativity & Inquiry (core and elective courses) Research: Investigation (core and elective courses) Professional skills (core and elective courses).

Kandice Chavous

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Shivangi Chopra

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Aga Kardasz

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Alise King

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Samantha Mandich

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Rebecca Rowe

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Juliane Saulle

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Swetha Veladi

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Kandice Chavous Biography Kandice Chavous is a digital content creator who focuses on fashion and beauty advertising. Her skill set includes: photography, videography, production, art direction, photo retouching and video editing. Chavous holds a B.S. in Fashion Design and has over 10 years of experience in the New York City fashion market. Keeping to the pulse of New York City, Kandice prides herself in digital trend analysis and fashion forecasting. After deciding to broaden her scope to an international one, she chose to pursue a M.A. in Fashion Film and Photography from Paris College of Art. Chavous’s work spans from design houses such as Marchesa and DKNY to billboards in Times Square and installations at Beautycon NY. Artist’s Statement Black Boy! Black Boy! Is my interpretation of #blackboyjoy, the movement that is showcasing Black boys and men in non-threatening and candid manners, in opposition to the images portrayed by traditional media. To further explore this topic, I introduced the gaze of the Black female photographer on the Black man, as often Black women do not

photograph Black men. I believe this to be a tension that dates back to the Willie Lynch theory. I approached my peer - Brandon - on the street and asked him for the privilege of photographing his portrait. During our session, I wanted to be sure that I was able to capture a genuine part of who he is. We conversed in a manner that allowed any anxiety to be eased off and his portrait captured. This was my first attempt at photographing a man with the goal of capturing a beauty portrait. Soft pink and neutral tones were used to foster a sense of tranquility. During post-production I retouched this series as if they were beauty portraits and according to the project brief, I introduced a color tint to emphasize the overall appearance of softness.

website: www.kandicechavous.com instagram: www.instagram.com/kandicechavous

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Shivangi Chopra Biography Shivangi Chopra comes from a land full of colors and a diverse culture, India. Starting her journey from visual communication, she then moved to photography. She was fascinated by the idea of creating or capturing a moment, and the urge to create such experiences drove her to Paris. She has an interest in fashion and couldn’t think of a better place to learn more about it and photograph it than in the capital of fashion. Before coming to Paris for her Master’s degree in Fashion Film and Photography at Paris College of Art, she had been working with Airbnb back in India as a photo editor for six months.

Artist’s Statement My vision as a visual artist is to create an ambience that allows people to drop out of reality and walk into a world where they desire every bit of the space. Playing with imagination to build up a new experience for viewers is what I work on.

website: www.choprashivangi418.wixsite.com/mysite instagram: www.instagram.com/shivangichoprasphotography

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Aga Kardasz Biography Aga Kardasz is a Polish photographer born in 1997 and currently based in Paris. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Warsaw, and then studied at the Association of Polish Art Photographers, along with working as a photographer for one of the leading companies in the Polish fashion industry. In 2020, she moved to France to explore filmmaking and continue her education in photography at Paris College of Art. Aga has presented her works in several group exhibitions, as well as a solo exhibition at Ludwik Zamenhof Centre in Białystok, Poland. She is a finalist of the PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photomarthon, and her works will be featured in exhibitions in London, Bogota and Tel-Aviv in 2021. She has been published in ELLE Poland, Vogue Italia’s PhotoVogue, Horizont Magazine, Docu Magazine and others.

Artist’s Statement In her works, Aga aims at conveying emotions through the use of lights and shadows, subtle colors, minimalist compositions, and diverse photography techniques. She explores various genres of photography, such as portraiture, fashion, documentary, landscape and street photography. Her goal is to create a common thread between all of her projects, finding connections within the contradictory.

website: www.agakardasz.com instagram: www.instagram.com/aga.kardasz

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Alise King Biography Alise King is an American photographer based in Paris, France. She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Utah State University, then moved to Paris to further her education at Paris College of Art. She is expected to graduate from her Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Film and Photography in spring of 2021.

Her photography focuses on portraiture, while challenging the concept of gender and social constructs in today’s society. She creates works that comment on social consumption and the way it engulfs our day-to-day life. She aims to represent diversity in all aspects of her work while producing emotion through lighting and staging.

She has participated in numerous exhi- Artist’s Statement bitions around the United States, a few being the “National Student Show and “Screen Time” is a short fashion film Conference” in Dallas, Texas, “Positive/ and editorial with the main thematic of Negative 34th National Juried Art the project representing the notion of Exhibition” in Tennessee, “America, The distance and reflection. The concept disWorld Juried Exhibition” in Pennsylvania, cusses the consumption of technology Photo Utah EDU Conference in Salt Lake and how our world has become bomCity, Utah, and multiple solo and group barded by screens. We are consumed by exhibitions at Utah State University. In the life we live on our screens rather than 2020, she presented a research poster what we experience in front of us, and I at the “CCA Undergraduate Research have chosen to represent that consumpPoster Session for Art and Art History” tion by showing the fragmented images in Chicago, Illinois, and the “Utah of the models on the screens. Since the Conference on Undergraduate Research” pandemic, the world has become even in Logan, Utah, where she received the more saturated with the use of technolfirst-place award in the “Utah Woman, ogy due to the fact that we now primarily work and communicate online. The Past Present & Future exhibition”. way we relate to our surroundings has She has been published in FIV Magazine, changed, which has caused a separation Vogue Italia’s PhotoVogue online plat- between people. However, as it is much form, and has photographed events harder to interact in person, technology for The Hallmark Channel, Film Fatales, has now become an essential part of our and the Utah Film Commission at the lives, and in a way, has become an extension of ourselves. Sundance Film Festival.

website: www.alisekingphotos.com instagram: www.instagram.com/akingphotos2

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Samantha Mandich Biography Sam is originally from Long Beach, Artist’s Statement California, but has lived and worked in New York for seven years prior to moving “Nothing To Do” is a fashion and film to Paris, France, where she is currently editorial collaboration with the Althea based. She has a background working Dance Company. This editorial was in the luxury fashion industry for brands inspired by the notion of distance and and editorial publications such as Louis reflection. Inspired by my own experience Vuitton, Marie Claire, and The RealReal in of being in a space of connected isolathe fashion, styling, and creative production, this story shows people who have tion departments. become reflections of one another as well as their environment. In addition, Sam is trained in almost all styles of dance. She has freelanced The film was inspired by the iconic dance as a dancer in New York in addition to scene in Jim Jarmusch’s film “Permanent teaching dance for many years. Dance Vacation,” and takes the concept of has served as inspiration in most of photo series one step further by immersher early photography and video works, ing us into the bazaar behaviors of two and continues to influence the way she people stuck in a seemingly endless time approaches fashion photography. loop with only each other to turn to for human connection. In a wild attempt to Sam is also a filmmaker. Prior to the break free from the agonizing monotstart of her studies at Paris College of ony of living in the same day over and Art, she wrote, directed, and produced over again, one roommate breaks into a a short film in New York titled “Bleach”. groovy frenzy, willing this particular day Since arriving in Paris, Sam has continued to be different than the last. making short films, one of which won its category in the Silk Road Film Awards in The film is a commentary on trying to Cannes. break free from confinement. Although the setting is realistic, the behavior of the Sam aims to create a space where peo- characters in the film brings an element ple can embrace the vulnerability of of surrealism to the narrative, intended telling their stories. She is inspired to to symbolize the dazed state we can fall use expressive lighting and experimental into while being isolated from society. It techniques within her films to capture is shot from two angles, cutting back people’s true emotional experiences. and forth from each to give the audience a sense of the small space. Stylistically, Blurring the lines between documentary the inclusion of jump cuts and still camand fiction, she strives to take a poetic era movement supports this feeling of approach in filmmaking and fashion nothingness, stillness, and time passing. photography to give people the freedom to tell their stories in a way that feels authentic to them. Movement and fashion are the expressive tools she is currently drawn to, and these elements shine through in her work. website: www.samanthamandich.com instagram: mwww.instagram.com/sammymandich

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Rebecca Rowe Biography Rebecca Rowe is a Jamaican visual artist/photographer born in 1996 and currently based in Paris, France. She graduated from the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textile and Fiber Arts in 2020. Since then, she has moved to Paris, where she has transitioned her craft from fine arts to photography. In late spring of 2021, Rowe is expected to receive a Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Film and Photography at Paris College of Art. Rowe has been published in several news articles such as Caribvoxx, and has participated in multiple fine art interviews on Television Jamaica and Radio Jamaica.

location, where they seem to be alone. In reality, it is the female subject who is alone and sees her male counterpart in every reflection. The images have abstract elements, as there are various shapes and details. The garments are lightweight, vintage-like clothing. The aesthetics of the beach fills most of the composition.

All images show the texture of sharp grains of sand and stones, in contrast to the softness of the water. The colors are not too saturated; it has a tint of blues and yellows, creating a semi warm tone. The size of the subjects in comparison to the background shows an intimate use of space. The shape of the mirror is a cirHer work has been exhibited in popular insti- cle – a shape that could be described as being tutions across Kingston, the Indiggo Art “complete” – in order to represent the couple’s relationship. One image shows the woman conference being one of many. In 2020, she laying on top of the mirror, which creates the launched a solo exhibition entitled “Sacred illusion of separation to the viewers. Geometry: manifesting your desires through art”, which displayed a series of large intricate wall installations. She has been a part of many The second story is set to feel nostalgic and that of a vivid memory. The main subject is different art pop up shows between Kingston and Florida. With her background in textiles/ flushed into an organic and peaceful locasurface design, she launched two fine art busi- tion, where she is surrounded by a luxurious nature. In one picture, the hands are used as nesses back in 2016, where she designs custom a symbolic representation of the painting “The artwork and apparel. creation of Adam”. The two hands touching gently shows the connection between the Her love for photography developed from old two subjects, that of a delicate friendship. The fashion magazines, films, TV shows and music yellow and green highlights help to push the videos. Rowe has taken her designs and used them in various art collaborations and proj- notion of tranquility forward. The use of lines from the trees and leaves create a texture in ects in many creative communities. Rowe’s the pictures. Overall they are crisp and clean, photography is centered around the use of texture, shapes and color. Being from a trop- and their composition is aesthetically pleasing. This project was my first editorial, and it really ical island, the colors and textures of nature are embedded in her work. She uses the out- tested my skills as a fairly new photographer. door world as her backdrop to create poetic There were a lot of challenges trying to create stories through her photography. Her goal is this series, from getting the models to shootto have an emotional impact on viewers and ing on location. The stories are similar in a establish a connection between the audience sense that there is somewhat of a notion of and her work. separation in the couple and we see how the environment can provoke emotions of loneliArtist’s Statement ness and the urge to become one. I chose the name “Time between us”, a sentence that is “Time between us” is a love story divided into two parts. It shares an important visual char- actually extracted from a song by Brittany Howard, called “Short and Sweet”. It speaks acteristic that defines my artistic style. The of the concept of stories and relations, and project was done as a fashion editorial with it describes time as being the mastermind a tropical twist. It was styled entirely by me behind distance. The aim of the project was and shot in Kingston, Jamaica. “Time between to engage viewers using beautiful images that us” reveals the concept of time and distance are also emotionally relatable. between two lovers. In the first story, we see a young couple who is positioned on a beach

instagram: www.instagram.com/Auntiebecs

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Juliane Saulle Biography Juliane is a young French photographer who got her Bachelor’s degree in Art in 2018 in Angers. In the last year of her program, she did an exhibition at the Visual Art Center of the university, gathering photos, drawings, and poems around the main theme “Vanity and Ephemera.” She is now about to finish her Master’s degree in Fashion film and Photography at Paris College of Art. During the year, she has been able to work for a few Parisian fashion brands such as Sakina Paris, Camille de Dampierre, Adélie Métayer, and Chaussettes Orphelines. Artist’s Statement I actually grew up in a family where photography was not a big thing but where art was important. My parents helped me open my mind to different ways of thinking and seeing the world; they brought me to museums and encouraged me to learn music. When I was a teenager, I started to be interested in photography, as I felt like it was teaching me a lot and

was very rewarding, as it allowed me to meet many different people. In my work, I’m talking to my viewers about fairy tales, stories that are teaching us something – things that maybe we should start doing – which might be because of my Christian background. I’m always trying to give my pictures a lot of meaning, and make my viewers feel better or at least make them hope for something better. Photography is also giving me some sense of freedom. At the moment, I’m trying many different ways of telling my story, especially by exploring fashion photography, which is helping me to expand my skills. Moreover, the stories that my photographs convey are meant to take us away; to discover a better world and transport us to a better place. I want to think that a better world is possible, because I want to speak to people’s hopes.

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Swetha Veladi Biography Swetha Veladi is an Indian Fashion Communicator born in 1995 and currently based in Paris, France. She holds a Bachelor’s of Design in Fashion Communication from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, India. She is expected to graduate with her Master’s degree in Fashion Film and Photography from Paris College of Art in spring 2021. She has experience working as a Fashion Stylist & Photographer with luxury fashion and accessories brands. She also has worked freelance in the Telugu film industry. Her work is an expression of her creative explorations, where she takes the viewer into a conceptual world-blending storytelling and fiction inspired by reality. Photography, videography, styling, graphic design and post-production are the tools she uses to bring her world to life. Fashion helps create the mystery and uncertainty of the viewer’s perception, which is very fascinating to her. Artist’s Statement In my mother tongue, which is Telugu, there is a saying “ Nee thala ratha lo rasundhe jaruguthundhi,” which in English translates to “ what’s written in your fate line will transpire.” It means that we have to carry on living and accept what is written in our fate line even though we don’t know what will ensue. Every human being is born with a fate line that the lord Brahma – who is

known as the God of creation in my religion – is said to have written and which contains all the events a person will go through in their lifetime from birth to death. I have created my take on this message and changed it into - I CREATE MY OWN FATE LINE. I believe everyone has their right to live their lives the way they want and should trust themselves and be confident. “Let the path flow naturally, just walk it trusting your way and face forward with all the confidence you can hold.” The first two images in my series showcase the strength and confidence to withstand anything that lies on the model’s path. In these two images, the model expresses her attitude and confidence in a very calm state. The next four images show that even when silenced, she will get her message through and be free. The image shows the subject being in movement yet silenced by the hand that blocks the model’s mouth, as well as the next image, with the close-up of her hands crossed. The image after that also features movement but this time depicts freedom and the next one is another close-up of hands being free.

website: www.swethaveladi.com

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INTERIOR DESIGN MA

Aimed towards emerging designers interested in specializing in interior design, the Master of Arts proposed by PCA provides them with the necessary tools and skills to become professionals in the industry. The Master of Arts (MA) in Interior Design is a one-year program aimed at emerging designers and conceived to provide them with the necessary tools and skills to become professionals in this field. This program prepares students to meet the demands of an expanding high-end residential and commercial property market in capital cities around the world. Students with an undergraduate background in interior design, architecture and other design related fields will be particularly suited for this program. A demonstrated ability to draw and sketch, knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and CAD software programs, as well as a strong portfolio of selected projects, are criteria for admission.

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Interdisciplinary in nature and structure, the program conceives the studio and the classroom as complementary spaces for developing design thinking, technical and professional skills, as well as creative expression in developing an interior design project. Since this is an initial terminal degree where graduates are expected to join the job market upon graduation, the focus of the program is on studio and research, rather than on scholarship and preparation for teaching. Graduates of the program will be able to apply their skills in settings as varied as independent interior design consultants and entrepreneurs for individual residential clients, for commercial clients (hotel chains and luxury brand flagship stores), as in-house designers for commercial retail and hotel chains, or in architecture firms. The combination of core, supporting and elective classes ensure depth and breadth of content.

Kitty Berkeley

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Sumedha Bhattacharyya

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Julia Costanzo

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Yara Ghrawi

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Daphne Tsagkataki Tsiringa

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Kitty Berkeley Biography Kitty is a Master in Interior Design student from Kent, England. She boarded at Cranbrook School and continued her education at Nottingham Trent University, where she studied interior architecture and design. This included a one-year placement at the interior architect company, Laughland Jones, which specialized in residential interior architecture. To further her education and gain more experience in architecture and interior design, Kitty enrolled in the Master in Interior Design program at Paris College of Art. “I have always been in awe of the architecture and interior style in Paris, therefore PCA provided the most idyllic course for that. Not only was it where PCA was situated, and the courses they offered, but also the way they provide support when entering into the industry.”

and left me eager for what is to come. I have always taken inspiration and enjoyment from breathing new life into an existing building and subsequently creating a beautiful space that enhances its original character and history. My project is an urban farm that has been integrated within an old business school in Paris. The farm uses various techniques that optimizes space and produces food in a far more sustainable way. The food produced here will then be used within the restaurant, educating people about the importance of eating more healthily and more sustainably. The ground floor of the building is dedicated solely to education, including workshop rooms and large lectures halls.

Artist’s Statement Having completed my degree at Nottingham Trent University and my year in the industry, I knew that the world of architecture and interior design is exactly where I wanted to be. This year’s Master’s degree at PCA has propelled me forward

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Sumedha Bhattacharyya Biography Sumedha Bhattacharyya is a current master’s student enrolled in PCA’s Master of Interior Design program from Kolkata, India. She has a background of literature studies, then she graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion Communication from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Bhubaneswar, India in 2018. Preceding her graduation, she furthered her studies at Bhawanipur Design Academy in Kolkata, India where she obtained a Diploma in Interior Design in 2019. Throughout her studies, she worked on many projects as a Visual Merchandiser Intern, an Assistant Space Designer, and an Interior Designer. Sumedha has also been involved in some freelance work where she contributed as a Fashion Stylist, an Art Director, a Photographer, a Graphic Designer, a Set Designer, and a Film Production Designer. Her passion for design brought her to Paris, to learn more on international and sustainable ways of practice.

also it intrigues me to combine them with experimental techniques and styles. I try to find most of my inspirations from emotions in me and people around me, also I like to observe a lot, experience different cultures and different approaches to human behaviour, and channel it as my artistic approach/process. I use my design skills as a way of communicating and building new connections with people. I enjoy sharing my love for design in a way that can help people and make it more local and relatable. My designs describe me as a person, I love to tell stories through my designs, creating an ability to make someone feel the space/ situation. I love encountering any style I come across, never passing up an opportunity to try out a new style, even if it is only for a little while. In the end, all that really matters is the story that there is to tell, and the emotions that there are to make people feel/experience!

Artist Statement I prefer to identify myself as a ‘Design Creative’, as I don’t like to constrain my creativity in a niche sector. My designs seek to portray dreams and visions using traditional styles and techniques, but

email: sumedha070296@gmail.com instagram:@ sumedha_7296

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Restaurant

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Sustainable Cooking Class with Terrace Herb Garden

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Julia Costanzo Biography From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Julia stage of a project. Focusing not only on Costanzo is a Master in Interior Design the external and structural elements, but student. Before PCA, Julia obtained the internal and emotional elements as her Bachelor of Architecture degree well. from Virginia Tech. Throughout her studies, Julia gained experience as an “The Cycle Shop” is a hybrid space conarchitectural intern at Atkin Olshin taining a laundromat, a workshop, and a Schade architects located in Philadelphia, dried flower shop. These three programs Pennsylvania, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, are linked by the concepts of recycling as well as at Pomponga Block Builders in and upcycling. They are incorporated in Manila, Philippines. With additional inter- the large central table that bends and ests in photography and filmmaking, she twists in response to the needs of each is a multimedia artist who has developed program. a unique style that is a combination of digital and physical mediums. Artist’s Statement After obtaining a degree in architecture, I really wanted to continue my education on the interior aspect of design. In my future career, I hope to be a part of every

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Yara Ghrawi Biography I am Yara Ghrawi and I was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Despite being a small country, it is a land of a thousand vegetation. A thousand languages roam the streets once ruled by the Romans, Phoenicians, Ottomans and the French, which makes it the home of a thousand cultures. Just as it is a wonderful and inspiring fusion, it is also tragically torn. Growing up in a house on the outskirts of Beirut, I bathed in a generous green space which rooted and connected me to nature, my surroundings and home. Reflecting back on it, it is why nature became my main source of inspiration. From pretending to prepare magic potions by mixing together soil and flower petals, to collecting twigs and leaves and turning them into artworks that I would eventually hang on our living room walls, taught me to be more appreciative of life’s simple pleasures and embrace it. Creativity was an essential aspect to my survival as a child. I could have never anticipated that my devotion for spatial thinking would someday guide me to Saudi Arabia to work in a big company eventually picking out the fitting tiles for the Saudi Royal families and importing golden glazed marble

and precious stones all the way from Italy. It did not feel right. I realized that the mentality behind this vision of design and interior did not suit me at all. Until the 4th of August, the day when Beirut exploded into pieces and my heart shattered with it from a distance. I knew that designing was much more than just a passion but a drive to do something good to the world, whether it’s environmental, social or simply something good for the soul. In simpler words, design became for me an emotion, an expression and a revolt. Artist’s Statement I urge to amplify a healthy voice in my design that lets us all dream and ground us on sustainable resources. We need space to breathe and feel alive. Not a space that blinds us and segregates us from the world but invites others in. We need to embrace different cultures and not turn them against us, or to regard ‘the other’ as an enemy. Using activism in my designs is what I look forward to developing in the upcoming years starting with my degree project.

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Daphne Tsagkataki Tsiringa Biography Daphne Tsagkataki Tsiringa is a Master’s in Interior Design student from Athens, Greece. She graduated from the Technical University of Crete with a diploma in Architectural Engineering. She has done her internship in the architectural Office ‘KOKKINOU-KOURKOULAS Architects’ in Athens. She has a solid foundation in design that dealt with various scales, from the small scale of architectural construction, to the intermediate one of urban design, and to the bigger one of landscape and regional planning. She has also dealt with many subjects essential to architectural design, such as building technology, visual arts, parametric design, restoration of existing buildings and bioclimatic architecture.

architecture, revitalizing structures and conserving the landscape. As designers, we serve the users’ needs, so that they can interact more with the space. In the “Space for individual retreat,” the visitor follows a ritual of activities with symbolic meaning. Simple activities that they normally would do every day to relax, such as reading and bathing. In this retreat, the visitor will be able to pay enough attention to these daily life acts, having enough time to enjoy them. The stages of this ritual have to do with a cleansing act, more specifically, the cleaning of your body by bathing and the cleaning of your mind by reading.

Artist’s Statement Her studies in Interior Design enabled her to be more efficient in expressing her ideas in all design aspects. She considers interior design as a tool of major importance, since it allows us to arrange and convert existing buildings by utilizing their shells in a framework of ecological

email: daphne.tsag@gmail.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGE-MAKING MA/MFA

In this program, students explore digital image-making through practice-based and process-oriented research. At the intersection of visual phenomena, new media, critical studies, and creative production, the program offers a unique blend of studio practice, and theoretical and art historical training. The MA/MFA in Photography and Imagemaking focuses on new types of visual storytelling: still image, moving image, and multimedia, with a curriculum that emphasizes new media and transdisciplinary skill sets, and understands photography as a hybrid and emerging art form. The program explores digital image-making as a force and it is designed as a practice-based and process-oriented program. Based on the intersection of visual phenomena, new media, critical studies, and creative production, the program offers a unique blend of studio practice, and theoretical and art historical training. Students who pursue the program at Paris College of Art have the potential for connection-building while they are still in the program. At PCA, students can complete either a Masters of Art (MA) or a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Photography and Image Making. The first two semesters (fall and spring) of these programs follow a common curriculum. MFA students continue for two semesters of study in the following academic year (fall and spring) to receive the MFA degree.

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Students who have an undergraduate background in photography and who demonstrate a range of technical skills (black & white and color photography, digital photography, lighting techniques, common software programs for editing) will be considered for admission. The program combines technical knowledge and principles of photography and image-making research and theory. Studio classes and workshops conducted by professionals emphasize the mastery of contemporary techniques and professional practices, while theory-based and methodology courses help students develop their personal creative visions. Thanks to internships during the photo events held in Paris several times a year and ongoing partnerships between PCA and relevant Parisian institutions, students will be well prepared to enter the job market and will have started to create a professional network by the time they graduate. Students specialize in photography and image-making, choosing to produce a final portfolio of either still or moving images, while at the same time continuing to broaden their knowledge and skills through supportive art & design courses and electives. In addition to studio and research, there is a focus on scholarship and preparation for teaching since graduates may choose to pursue a career in academia.

Rafael Avcioglu

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Nona Griffin

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Molly Lynch

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Tara Bogart

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Pia Pentzlin

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Rafael Avcioglu Biography Rafael Avcioglu (Av-Joe-Loo) is Puerto Rican/ Turkish but he was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is a conceptual portrait photographer who has been shooting for 5 years, but 3 years consistently. He is constantly weaving wherever his heart takes him and whatever feels right at the time. His inspirations and projects are always changing, but his main focused project right now is titled “Human Connection.” Artist’s Statement The “Human Connection” project aims to capture the connection between all humans during a time when I feel the world is very separated. I would say I mostly aim to capture the emotional/psychological side of humans, because I am a complex emotional man with a lot to unravel. Photography has allowed me to capture myself, capture others, while learning and growing into someone I am proud of. The more I learn about others, the more I learn about myself. The more I give back to others, the more I receive. The harder I work, the higher I climb. That has been my experience here. It’s been mostly a positive, slow rise and I’m excited for what the future will bring. I would like to see more from others, continue to be inspired, reach new humans, and interact with more people, while simultaneously using the camera as a tool of understanding. This “Human Connection” series began rather organically with no intention of embarking on a series of shoots or creating a long-lasting project. 2020 began like any other year, but it quickly turned as COVID-19 took to the world by storm. Forced to leave France for fear of getting stuck, Rafael Avcioglu (author of this series) returned to the United States where he is from. Rafael cancelled all plans for paid photography work. He decided to confine himself in a quarantine for 3 months as he finished up the semester of his 1st year of the MFA program in which he was enrolled. During this time, he would work on a deep dive self-portrait series where he was conducting a new self-portrait almost every day. Meanwhile, he was saving up inspiration for when it felt

safe to shoot with others again. Each day he grabbed new ideas from photography books and social media for things he wanted to create when the world opened up. During this time, he was also involved in a long-distance relationship with a woman he met during his stay in France. This was conflicting for his mind and each day was a bit of a new struggle. A world that already felt separated and lonely to Rafael had gotten even more separated and more isolated. At this same time, a man named George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This shook the nation like no other police murder before. It then spread to shake the whole world, and for the first time in months the only thing to break the news from COVID-19 was George Floyd’s murder. Protests began in every large city. Rafael felt compelled to create or document since this had been the tool he had used to send messages before. At first, it was about documenting the protests. This broke the self-quarantine he had placed himself under. From there, it was time to set up shoots. From COVID-19 to George Floyd’s murder, to the long-distance relationship struggles, Rafael felt the need and desire to capture “Human Connection” more than ever before. He started to set up multi-subject shoots. One led the next and before he knew, he had had about 20 shoots, all over the USA, in all sorts of environments with all sorts of people. But even then, it still didn’t feel like a series. It just felt like a message Rafael wanted/needed to put out (mostly communicating and sharing his work via social media at this time). Images to represent Humans in the same space. Together, sometimes with space in between them, standing, strong. The images took on lives of their own in many different forms, including self-portraits that Rafael staged with his re-united girlfriend. The series is on-going but displayed here are some of Rafael’s strongest images that he fills fit the story and theme of “Human Connection.”

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Nona Griffin Biography Nona Griffin is a filmmaker and multimedia artist. After studying art and biology at The New School University in New York, she has since dedicated her time to visually exploring themes of science, nature, and technology through both documentary filmmaking and photography.

yet masks create a barrier between us and the external world, conceal our facial expressions, and create hurdles with non-verbal communication. This results in interpersonal and emotional voids as we collectively head into the unknown future. How can we face the pandemic, The Void? Might photographic masks that depict ourselves help us to safely express ourselves and connect with each other?

As a documentary filmmaker, she contributed to producing Human Nature, a 2019 feature-length documentary on genetic engineering by Emmy-winner Adam Bolt. In “Facing The Void” is a transmedia story about wearing photographic masks during the addition, she worked as an editor on Eyes to See, a 2020 documentary about dis- Covid-19 pandemic. The project focuses on the story of the mask maker (the artist), who crimination against women in science by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ian Cheney. copes with the pandemic by trying to create the perfect photographic mask that is medCurrently, she is finishing a short documentary ically safe in order to safely work with others. film about a scientist who studies inheritance The story arc involves testing different materiat Institute Pasteur in Paris. als and printing processes, eventually making a mask for three participants to wear. Told In her art practice, Nona is most interested in through photographs, video, and text, the exploring topics that raise ethical questions about the intersection of nature and technol- project aims to document the complexities of ogy, especially involving bodies. These topics, masks during the pandemic and bring people together during this dark time. although based in reality, are situated in the context of hypotheticals, imagining what The exhibition of the work includes a staged the world might look like in the future. Topics documentary film, photographic artifacts, include the reproductive technology egg and the mask itself. The film documents the freezing, genetic engineering, environmental impacts on human inheritance, and repre- mask creation in a sterile medical environment. Only the mask maker’s hands are visible, sentation of masked faces during Covid-19. In referencing a puppeteer or the theatre, calling antithesis of these futuristic topics, she is also interested in exploring nostalgia for old tech- attention to the “costume” that masks have become during the pandemic. The film also nologies, ranging from postcards to record includes staged documentation of participlayers. pants wearing the masks, while audio from candid interviews explores their thoughts Nona’s art practice is driven by her attempt to find clarity in the complex world today. Yet, and feelings around wearing it. Photographic artifacts collected throughout the creation clarity never comes. Instead, through research of the project are displayed nearby, exposing and visual experimentation, layers of intricacy methods such as 3D modeling. On Instagram, are uncovered. Her practice follows this line of Facing_The_Void reveals the personal evoluinvestigation, opens up to the unknown, and tion of this project, starting at the sea in the attempts to visually represent the essence of South of France. this complexity. Artist’s Statement Masks are transforming self-expression and social interactions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Masks are required in public places in Paris and are necessary to combat the virus,

website: nonagriffinstudio.com

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Molly Lynch Biography Molly Lynch was born in 1997 in Reston, Virginia. She graduated from the University of Miami as a student athlete with a Bachelor’s of Marine Biology and Biology in 2019. She then went on to pursue photography at Paris College of Art and is currently a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts in Photography and Image-Making.

a new layer to the narrative. It is up to the viewer to explore and question the fictitious universe through imagery, text, and their own interaction. The story follows two subjects throughout their staged long-distance relationship. Still in love with who their partner used to be, it touches on the notion of clinging to an already fading relationship and the struggles of intimacy caused by screens. Artist’s Statement Hence, the reason behind the title “PhanT’aime”: a play on words between “PhanT’aime” is a multidisciplinary proj- the French word ‘aimer,’ to love, and the ect that aims to immerse the viewer into English word ‘phantom,’ a ghost or figa virtual dimension by using the very ment of the imagination. technology and platforms it questions. With most of the world still affected by the virus, the diffusion of this work allows accessibility while simultaneously questioning that accessibility. The website has two versions: a desktop version that mimics a Mac computer’s desktop screen and a mobile version that mimics an IPhone. Both versions contain interactive clickable apps that therein reveal

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Tara Bogart Biography Tara Bogart is an American visual artist living in Paris France. Her work explores identity, culture, and personal histories. Her projects employ portraiture, objects and landscape, as a means to examine femininity, social impacts and family. She received a BFA in Communication Design with an Emphasis in Photography and is finishing her Masters in Photography and Image-Making from Paris College of Art. Bogart was a finalist for the 2021 Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery, London and has exhibited work at Hous Projects, New York, Elizabeth Houston Gallery, New York, Aperture, New York, Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, The Newspace Photo Center, Portland, OR, INOVA (Institute of Visual Arts), Milwaukee, The Charles Allis Art Museum, Milwaukee and the Wriston Gallery at Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. Bogart has been reviewed by L’Oeil de la Photographie, New Yorker, CNN Worldwide Photos, Slate Magazine, The Huffington Post, I-D Vice, Zoom Magazine, The British Journal of Photography and The New Republic. She is in the private and public collections of The National Library of France, Paris and the J Crew Corporate Collection among others. Bogart published her first monograph with Kehrer Verlag in Germany in 2017. SEEN/UNSEEN Dear You, I have often heard from women older than myself that there is a moment when you suddenly become invisible. A moment when suddenly your thoughts and ideas are no longer relevant. Is it because our hair turns white and our bodies change? Is it the internal struggle of change that we project on others or has society put this veil on us? For whatever reason, there is a shift that happens at a certain point both physically and mentally. How is it that one can feel so alive and yet so broken at the same time? Are the effects of aging amplified because of our current Covid -19 condition? Or are others quietly

experiencing, in silence, the challenges of losing one’s youth. Maybe without the lens of a pandemic I would not have this reflection and deep feelings of loss. I never intended to share such personal moments publicly but somehow feel compelled to share a version of my experience. It is not a cry for help, or is it? It is not justification of an experience, or is it? It is not a glorification of wisdom….or is it? Here is an installation made with photographic material for you with my hands and body. Using the cyanotype process allows me to share the experience in a way that is both deeply personal yet somehow universal. Coating the papers to make them light sensitive, waiting, cutting, taping, and then physically laying on the paper in the sun, feels like an offering of both physical and emotional energy. I hope you will please not mistake this writing as a letter of complaint. For there are so many qualities of aging that are brilliant and worth experiencing all of the aches and pains that have become more steadily frequent in my life. Perhaps you or someone that you love is experiencing the same…have you ever thought they might just need to be seen? I see you. Truly, Tara Bogart (Un)Seen Large scale site-specific Installation Cyanotypes on watercolor paper 2021 Les temps Bleus Small handmade accordion book Inkjet, cyanotype on watercolor paper 2021

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Pia Pentzlin Biography In my work I am inspired by the notion of emotional realism: Instead of capturing an ‘accurate’ imprint of reality I am more concerned with how reality feels like. I aspire to capture a certain poetic beat that resonates with me in my environment and translate it visually. Having studied Geography, I am captivated by how human communities are bound together and how this is mirrored on an individual level embedded within the societal backbone. My long term wish is to be a filmmaker translating memories, emotions of different cultures in short films which are a blend of sound, documentary and visual scripts. Project Statement: Diary of an Ant Yuval Noah Harari states that we as humans collectively are faced with a new obstacle that plays out on an individual level. For centuries we have been pressured by the shortage of resources. The accessibility of food and shelter shaped our daily life and the sustaining and nourishing of our families took up all our free time. But nowadays, due to the capitalist competitive mindset and industrialization in place for over a century, there is an abundance of resources: many people in the western world do not have to fear hunger or put up a daily fight for a bed and a roof. But another new obstacle arises. We feel obsolete and unimportant. Just a tiny fragment. With the world being progressively separated into an oligarchic system controlled by large corporations, AI gaining momentum and many of us being fixed to a screen that consumes us rather than us consuming it, it becomes harder and harder to comprehend the space in the world we take up as just an individual. We pale in comparison, we are at the edge of the world, able to access information on deep sea fish that swim in the Baltic sea at a depth of 200m, zoom in on a tiny Northern Siberian village via googlemaps and listen to 1920 sitar tunes from India. But how do we comprehend living in small confined spaces in

metropolitan cities and looking through our window down onto the entire world? We are no longer controlled by patterns in our imminent environment but move in the fabric of a global space, shipping Nestle products to our local corner store that are fabricated in an entirely different country, transported over the ocean by giant container ships or being dragged and dropped from Amazon. As we observe the vastness that surrounds us, we shrink in size, a feeling of helplessness and vertigo overtakes us. What is our perspective? We can see, but not understand or shape. Have we become ants? Or are we only realizing we have been one all along? This is the question that the short film Diary of an Ant investigates in an abstract sensorial sequence. A human wakes up, shrunken in size, creeping around in panic in a tiny apartment, restlessly spinning around the edges of the walls. The person narrates in a voice over how she has lost her perspective, suddenly realizing she cannot access or see anything anymore. Everyday life has become a tunnel of riddles, marvels and confusion that she cannot grasp. “Where did I end up?” The human asks, disconnected and lost. Continuing her daily beat, consuming food, going to bed, cleaning etc. her demise of shrunken size remains unnoticed by the environment but occupies her entire reality. Initially she struggles to find purpose in following her daily steps. But as the individual is forced to orient herself solely based on conspicuous sensations of objects she suddenly realizes that one can find sanctuary in minuteness. She begins to harbor appreciation for the sun and shadows that are being cast like rays from a different star. She bathes in the surrounding bright giant colours of oranges and splattered water from the sink that becomes a waterfall. Due to her slowness and minuteness an epiphany strikes - being, in itself, is beautiful. It is not what you see that needs to be

grand and shapable but the approach of how you see things that is decisive. A centric force, gravitating back to the imminent haptic presence, unspools the global vertigo and harvests appreciation for the tiny vases, cutlery and light that unfold as if on a stage in front of the shrunken individual. I have used an endoscopic camera to mimic the movement and vision of an ant and capture the delusion and confusion of shapes and space. The short film is split into three chapters. The first is characterized by chasing long take camera movements to signal the search and restlessness. The camera is not fixed on a spot but moves with fluidity. The following chapter is more static, the camera is rather observing and experiencing the environment as opposed to moving itself. In the last chapter, the human and camera for the first time part ways as the human is suspected to have inherited a different viewpoint from the camera which is unknown to the observer. It subtly symbolizes the cathartic realization that the narrator has overcome her believed settled existence as an ant. The human is set free and able to escape the inner demise. The short film becomes an abstract meditation on perspective and how it can drown or save you.

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TRANSDISCIPLINARY NEW MEDIA MA/MFA

Production of new media is no longer the province of individual artists or designers working by themselves, but rather involves the collaborative practice of multidisciplinary teams. Designed for those who are interested in exploring the wide-ranging creative field of New Media that goes beyond traditionally defined art and design disciplines, this program employs methods of transdisciplinary practice through collaborative teamwork. Through a shared creative process, students will re-frame their current understanding of different tools, technologies, theories, and methods, developing hybrid systems and solutions that go beyond any one discipline. At PCA, students can complete either a Masters of Art (MA) or a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Transdisciplinary New Media. The first two semesters (fall and spring) of these programs follow a common curriculum. MA students complete their thesis in the spring term to receive their degree while MFA students continue for two semesters of study in the following academic year (fall and spring) to receive their degree. Graduates of both the MA and MFA will go on to apply their skills to collaborative

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projects in domains as varied as online and traditional publishing, video games, art installations, exhibitions, live performances, web design, interaction/ interface design, software development, service design, etc. As well, the MFA, which is considered a terminal degree in this field, will open the doors to teaching opportunities in higher education for our graduates. The program is open to any applicant who has successfully completed an undergraduate degree (BFA, BA, BSc, BID, BArch, etc.). To encourage this transdisciplinary approach, candidates from varied backgrounds-including art, design, programming, business, literature, philosophy, science, music and theory-are actively encouraged to apply. Because we want to encourage students with varied skill sets and perspectives some students may be required to take preparatory summer undergraduate courses or pre-requisites: applicants without a BFA are required to have at least two semesters of Art or Design History; applicants with non-technical backgrounds will be required to attend a summer or online course prior to enrollment to shore up skills that may otherwise be lacking (Video, Web (HTML, CSS, PHP), and Processing).

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Daniel Bande Biography Daniel Bande is a visual artist, an active performance musician and an electronic sound producer from Chile. He works as a music producer on several projects and composes music using audio techniques that he has acquired throughout the years. He has also studied Fine Arts. As Daniel experimented with different media, he became increasingly interested in altering specific analog and digital processes to re-construct them in tangible works. By gathering the necessary experience to link these two worlds, he aims to analyze art concepts putting in relation the digital world and obsolete technologies through visual and theoretical implications that explore the ambiguous connections between them. He co-created an independent production company based mainly on analog video, called ERAXVI. With this company, Daniel Bande has developed projects in France and started a new musical project called ITESA, for which he is the composer, producer as well as the editorial designer and artist. He currently lives in Paris, and is completing his MFA degree in Transdisciplinary New Media at Paris College of Art. Artist’s Statement Through experimentation, one of my main interests as a visual artist is finding ways to visualize the thin line between abstract and figurative meanings as a subject of discussion. By experimenting with painting, drawing, printing, video signal processing, coding, and other new digital strategies, I try to create visual works that use patterns and repetitive gestures as a process in the making, which shows clearly in the outcome of a piece.

I’m interested in displaying a system in its naked form to present a problem that has to do with how a system is fed by its own nature, to bring to the surface the idea of feedback. Therefore, being able to visualize technicalities in my artworks constitutes a relevant part in understanding what is being presented and why. In my artistic practice, I take into consideration the fact that human expressivity in visual culture is born from inaccuracies and from the act of simulating or enhancing accidents and errors. This is why aesthetics are so eloquent in highlighting rigor vs carelessness, craftsmanship vs precariousness, and in this process, there are levels of commitment and levels of contempt; of economy and waste; of conservatism and revolution; of forgetfulness and revisionism. And I question myself, how is this different and similar from a machine? I try to emphasize this tension between the human and the device; to sometimes work as a machine would and to sometimes make evident human expressiveness. There is a certain influence that is externalized in my work, and it is related to a certain malleability of the object as a product of ambiguity. To present something as it fades out, delimiting and blurring, intentions more fearful than brave that emerge with technique and generate an ambiguity that I take advantage of. However, it is not deliberate in its design. Thus, this subjectivity is interspersed with means of production that are by definition elastic and diluted.

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Katie Bonner Biography Kate Bonner (Katie) was born in New York City in 1997. Soon after, the Navy relocated her father to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she and her two brothers grew up. There, Katie learned to serve a tennis ball at 95 miles per hour, remove her own sutures, paint, stretch her own canvas, appreciate french rap and the verlan that comes with it, and dismiss sexist comments in her higher-level math and science classes. In 2016, Katie began working for the marketing department of the Students of Georgetown Inc -- her first proper encounter with a design space. The possibility of a digital canvas sparked a joy in her that transcended that of the physical canvas. The computer-aided design software she worked with invited a way of thinking about graphic design and animation that resembled, for her, mathematical, problem-solving processes. This experience in the content creation side of marketing lead her to an internship with the NBCUniversal Affiliate Marketing Team in New York City in 2019, where she also created deliverable content for the Late Night Digital Design Team. She relished the technical, creative processes she observed and in which she took part. In 2020, Katie received her Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Transdisciplinary New Media at Paris College of Art in Paris, France. Dedicated to the exploration of technology as an artistic medium, Katie has had fun working with augmented reality and creative coding. She is curious to learn more about the use of emerging technologies as a means for meaningful expression and storytelling in the creative industry.

page that previously cradled my flower; it also held derivations of the Schrödinger equation. I strip this equation of its math, and it reduces to an engagement with wonder. It follows that when a scientist measures an electron, she forces it out of a probability density and into existence. She creates it. So then, what separates her from an artist? In today’s technical environment, this allegory may seem forced and this question, absurd; but, that is only, in my opinion, because we have not yet unpacked what it means to be a scientist or an artist. When I refer to scientists, I am not discussing technicians, whose role is to be highly trained in mathematical and computational methods. I am discussing she or he who seeks to find meaning in perceived nonsense. Ultimately, there is no way to verify that our human-engineered translations of the universe are anywhere close to accurate, let alone that they act as a comprehensive copy. These translations merely operate within the sphere of science, so we buy into the idea of rigid and concrete truths and discoveries. However, nothing is held hostage to science - not even math, the language we invented to model the complex and perplexing behavior of the universe. Thus, the theories scientists create through inherently imperfect tools are, at their core, curated, and meaningful interpretations. So, I ask you again to consider the following question: how is the role of a scientist any different from the role of an artist?

Artist’s Statement Under a pile of handwritten letters and my copy of l’Élégance du Hérisson, my quantum mechanics textbook resides, full of pressed flowers. Looking at one of these flowers, I admire the beauty in both its petals and its molecular makeup. I gaze back down at the

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Nicholas McKenna Biography Nicholas McKenna was born in 1988, in Kansas City, Kansas. He currently lives in Paris, attending Paris College of Art as a Transdisciplinary New Media MFA candidate. He began his educational career in 2006, studying engineering at Kansas State University. He attended the Kansas City Art institute in 2008, starting in the film program. Taking a hiatus from his fine arts degree, he worked as a sound engineer in both recording and live sound reinforcement for large bands and theater productions. In 2018, he completed his BFA in Sculpture with a focus on installation art. Besides his technological knowledge and artistic capacities, he is also proficient in many forms of craftwork, construction, welding, and mold making. Artist’s Statement I am drawn to the infinite possibilities in the use of technology in my own art practice. I want to explore these complex ideas and attempt to solidify them into a simple, consumable form. In my attempts to do this in the past, I have created installation environments in which the audience can experience a curated world, hopefully leaving with a different perspective and an emotional connection with the content of the work.

the viewer. As a person whose interior world is often difficult to read externally, I try to represent a vision of the specific internal processes we all have experienced at some point in our lives. I am fascinated by how people feel and think, and how those processes get affected by their environment. I am motivated by my own attempts to relate to the rest of humanity, the perpetual struggle to be completely understood. Using a combination of hard-learned traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, I try to build the work with a rooted connection to a relatable material and hide the technology within that material. This comes from a desire to keep the viewer interested in my work long enough to gather meaning from it, rather than centring the conversation around the technology itself. For me, technology is a tool and not a subject. The meaning of my work is ultimately derived from the interpretation of the viewer, but I try to guide the viewer using emotional and visual triggers. My art is a layman’s effort to introduce the viewer to a new internal perspective outside their own. It functions almost as a performative work, creating a space for the viewer to gain their own understandings.

My artwork centres around attempted iterations of emotional states and aims to elicit an empathetic response from

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