A splash of colors mixed with an array of imaginative materials like comic book clippings, yarn and “Caution: wet floor” signs cover the walls and floor space of the Gatov West Gallery on upper campus.
Senior studio art major Katia Swihart’s exhibit “Description of a Struggle” is a brightly colored depiction of dark themes, like her lost sense of self after joining the workforce and her relationship with her father.
A giant deflated beach ball hangs from a torn up mattress as visitors kneel on a blanket facing religious candles. The gallery takes them through the story of Swihart’s journey of self-discovery, as she reflects on different eras in her life.
“A lot of my work is kind of in response to how i grew up with my father – he’s a very very influential character because he’s very arrogant and has a huge ego,” Swihart said. “Ever since I was a kid he’s talked about how if you want to be a good artist, you need to read intellectual poets or writers, like Kafka, Dostoyevsky or Proust.”
The mattress piece displayed prominently in the center of the room is called “Father’s Metamorphosis,” an homage to Kafka’s short story “Metamorphosis.”
“[My father] never really sees me as the image that he wanted me to be,” she said. “He never saw my intellect as high as, his so a lot of my pieces are due to that.”
On the wall hangs an abstract depiction of window made with paints and a collection of crocheted garments. She says this displays her perception of her own mentality — after a fear of doctors lead her to a habit of self-diagnosing.
Her gallery is open between Fine Arts 2 and Fine Arts 3 from 12-5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 12-8 p.m. Wednesday.
Sommer Dalton contributed to this article.