Graduate Student Thesis Exhibitions

Kathleen Foran-Spragge - what passes unspoken – February 27 – March 3 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“The graduate thesis exhibition, what passes unspoken, features the work of artists Evgenia Mikhaylova, Ivetta Sunyoung Kang, and Jasmine Liaw who use sound and movement to activate relational networks that cross over linguistic divides. They draw upon experiences of being positioned outside of language to inspire methods of communication that go beyond the spoken or written word, to centre the body as a conduit for connection. Visit what passes unspoken at the Graduate Gallery, 205 Richmond St. W from February 27th – March 5th. Please join us at the gallery for the opening reception on February 28th from 6-8pm.”

Char Carbone - BIPOC Adoptee Justice and Joy – March 4-8 in OCAD U’s Great Hall, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Is there an ethical way to commodify children for sale across international borders? My thesis explores the lived complications of triple-trans (transracial, transnational, trans*) BIPOC adoptees using research-creation methods and critical adoption frameworks. My exhibit is an immersive environment of art objects, live performance, and community programming as a way of inviting visitors into a place of adoptee justice and joy - an emerging reality of adoption obsolescence aka. adoption abolition.”

Daniela Bosco - Daniela Bosco - Graduate Thesis Exhibition – March 6-10 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

Megan Hamilton - Among flowers and bones – March 6-10 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Among the flowers and bones is an exhibition featuring photography, found object, and projection exploring the intertwining nature of life and death. Rooted in grief this work aims to make space to embody and reflect upon complex emotions surrounding loss.”

Jinxin Guo - The Gray Area – March 6-10 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“An interactive installation focusing on the theme of bullet comment (danmaku) culture. Through projection, documentation, interactive elements, and the physical display of disappeared danmuku texts, the work explores the rise and fall of this culture and the reasons behind it. The installation is showing how language and culture are shaped, deconstructed, and reborn in digital spaces, while reflecting on the impact and meaning of this phenomenon in society.”

Setayesh Babaei - Mãdar: Nest, Rest, Shadows – March 13-17 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“My work engages with the surreal dimensions of motherhood, exploring the complex and invisible interplay of strength, vulnerability, and connection.”

Saba Syed - Saba Syed - Graduate Thesis Exhibition – March 13-17 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

Rithika Manna - Do we need ‘NEW’?: Rethinking Trends Through Emotional Connections, Sustainable Design, and Cultural Heritage – March 13-17 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Rithika is a designer from India, influenced by her experiences witnessing the growing plastic waste crisis, landfills, and the climate crisis. Her thesis addresses the environmental challenges of the furniture industry by reimagining ancestral practices of reuse and upcycling. Through modular designs inspired by Lego and jigsaw puzzles, her work promotes sustainable, adaptable furniture and advocates for a shift toward a circular economy. Rithika’s project blends cultural heritage with innovative design to encourage mindful consumption and a sustainable future.”

Jackson Berigan - Humane Design for Homeless Populations (HDHP) – March 13-17 in OCAD U’s Experiential Media Space, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“‘Humane Design for Homeless Populations’ or HDHP is a humane public design project in collaboration with residents of Dufferin Grove Park. Project objectives include 1) prototyping public design concepts meant to ease and even save lives of the homeless populations occupying public spaces, 2) using speculative design to encourage discussion and social reform surrounding urban homelessness, specifically how they’re treated in and by public space 3) accompanying realized designs with policy recommendations and design futures addressing inequities and deficits facing a severely marginalized community.”

Wurood Azzam - Shako Mako – March 19-23 in OCAD U’s Ada Slaight Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Wurood Azzam is an Iraqi graphic designer and artist dedicated to preserving and celebrating cultural identity through visual storytelling. Her thesis explores the intersection of graphic design, illustration, and product design to authentically represent the richness of Iraqi dialects, highlighting the linguistic and cultural diversity spanning from the south to the north of Iraq. Through illustrative reinterpretation of iconic Iraqi song lyrics, the project bridges tradition and modernity, fostering pride within the diaspora and promoting a deeper global appreciation for Iraq’s heritage.”

Chris A Leithead - Please… Touch the Grass – March 20-24 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“Researching along concerns of online subjectivity, spatial/temporal relations and complication of the online/offline dichotomy, Chris A Leithead investigates how users act with agency within these systems, producing their own layers of meaning. In “Please… Touch the Grass,” visitors are invited to navigate these concerns across an exhibition of sculpture and installation in two parts. Working in material and visual referents of Nintendo consoles, residence, packaging materials and turf grass, Leithead explores the ways in which users create agency and meaning within strategic networked systems of power.”

Jewel Pavao - Jewel Pavao - Graduate Thesis Exhibition – March 20-24 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

Kay Nadjiwon – Sacred Shapeshifter – March 20-24 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Sacred Shapeshifter utilizes desire-based research to explore and celebrate the ambiguity of Two-Spirit identity, emphasizing the power of kinship across time and space. Grounded in autoethnography and Anishinaabe epistemologies, Nadjiwon challenges colonial understanding of gender and sexuality. Through interdisciplinary practices, including beadwork and sculpture, they envision a decolonial future where Two-Spirit people feel safe, loved, welcomed, and cared for.”

Aman Deshmukh - Aman Deshmukh - Graduate Thesis Exhibition – March 20-24 in OCAD U’s Experiential Media Space, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“My Thesis Exhibition is about a digital tool that allows international students to regulate unplanned grocery expenditure and reframe unplanned spending as opportunities for cultural engagement and mindful consumption. Through the development of a digital tool prototype, the project aims to empower students to navigate unfamiliar retail environments while fostering awareness of their spending habits.”

Abir Dabbour - In Black & White & Red – March 26 – 30 in OCAD U’s Ada Slaight Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“This photographic exhibit features Palestinian artists whose photographic works touch on themes of memory and preservation, with the name, In Black & White & Red / بالأبيض وأسود وأحمر deriving from the three colors of Arab liberation, visible in nearly every flag in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. The exhibit explores the history of Palestinian resistance photography and archives to connect it to the current historical moment; an examination of how the visual, physical, and generational qualities of photographs has contributed to, and has historically been, a significant part of the Palestinian resistance. Featuring three main bodies of work: one archival, one contemporary, and one hybrid of both archival and contemporary, the exhibit acknowledges the role of the archives and those who contribute to it: simultaneously looking forwards and back, at what they were given and what they will give in return. Artists included are Jude Abu Zaineh, Hani Jawharieh, and Rehab Nazzal.”

Renée Anne Bouffard-McManus - The Art of Noticing – March 27-31 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“The art of noticing is care, but care is more than a simple action; it cannot be distilled into easily followed steps, or a contractual obligation, or a moralizing duty. Noticing is deeply relational and is an act of love and hospitality which changes, grows, bends and leans as a caring action towards the other; it is interdependent, slow, counters indifference, and cultivates belonging. Artists: Don Kwan, Naomi Beth Hill, Michele Dickson, Sophia Kyungwon Kim”

Parastoo Mahmoudi - Parastoo Mahmoudi - Graduate Thesis Exhibition – March 27-31 in OCAD U’s Experimental Media Space, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“This immersive installation examines the connections between the past and the present, thereby creating an environment conducive to a deeper understanding of self and personal experiences. By engaging participants on a physical and sensory level, the installation encourages individuals to confront challenges, remain present with discomfort, and cultivate a relationship with these emotions. Ultimately, the objective is to promote inner peace through active listening, thoughtful reflection, and acceptance.”

Nadia Cannataro - Home/Making: How the Italian Diaspora are Represented Through Residential Design – March 27-31 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“The exhibition considers what representations of Italian diasporic homes in Ontario tell us about collective and individual diasporic Italian identities. Artists to be included in the exhibition include: Sara Angelucci, Tonia DiRisio, Amelia Filice.”

Yana Rzayeva – Pulling Threads – March 27-31 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“This exhibition explores the rich heritage of Azerbaijani weaving through immersive textile installations that blend traditional techniques with contemporary artistic practices. Using natural fibers and dyes, the works embody hybridity and cultural translation, weaving together fragmented histories, diasporic identity, and ancestral memory. By challenging the hierarchy between art and craft, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the role of cultural heritage in shaping decolonized, sustainable futures.”

Amy Noseworthy - Mamahood: Adventures in Queer Parenting – March 28 in The Beguiling, 319 College St.

“An MFA thesis show by cartoonist Amy Noseworthy, whose work explores the complexity of non-bio, non-binary motherhood through a DEEPLY nerdy look at the art of the comic strip. There will be a book launch at The Beguiling on March 28th and art on display until April 4th.”

Ellie Li - Pause Button Café – April 3-7 in OCAD U’s Experiential Media Space, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

Through an immersive space of a café, Ellie Li invites us to reflect on the shifting boundaries between public and private selves and to open a dialogue on identity's multiplicity. This exhibition uses the café as a context and a metaphor for navigating hybrid identities and moments of introspection in everyday life. By blending digital media, interactive elements, and playful visuals, the space serves as a pause button in our busy lives, offering an opportunity to experience and contemplate the subtle layers of self in constant negotiation.

Luke Lu - The Glitch in the Loop – April 3-7 in OCAD U’s RHA 418

“The exhibition features a multi-screen interactive film installation that illuminates the space, complemented by sound delivered through directional speakers. The centrepiece sculpture is constructed from electronic waste and spray-painted silver. Visitors will have the opportunity to leave their own Desire path to engage with the installation. Additional elements, such as hand-drawn storyboards and supplementary sculptures, are also under consideration to diversify the choice of mediums.”

Catherine Blackburn - Caribou-being beyond the boreal – April 3-7 in OCAD U’s Graduate Gallery, first floor, 205 Richmond St. W.

“Through storywork, Blackburn examines interspecies-ness/ inter-relatedness to describe the capacity of living archive to hold, reshape, and dream. Caribou-being beyond the boreal explores inter-beingness through Caribou-led agency and charts the love stories of her family and community. Through the act of garment making and adornment she utilizes assemblage as a method to stitch/unstitch and restitch offerings that honor the collective wisdom found in Indigenous oral histories.”

Erin Clark - Spectral Embrace – April 3-7 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Spectral Embrace attends to the violence of the archive: a counter-narrative that seeks to bring humanity, autonomy, and choice to those entombed by the archive. For this exhibition I created a series of art objects or portals that glimpse into alternative pasts/presents and offer my own tattoed body in response.”

Tongxin Gao - Lichen Clock – April 3-7 in OCAD U’s Ignite Gallery, second floor, 100 McCaul St.

“Tongxin Gao is a multi-media designer with a background in contemporary jewelry and digital arts. Her project, Lichen Clock, explores lichen as a measure of time, reflecting the slow, harmonious temporal rhythms that value patience and balance over efficiency. Through digital mapping, lichen surfaces are transposed onto household objects, while the jewelry creates an intimate connection through tactile engagement with the human body. Together, these elements form an artistic response to the numbness caused by the pace of modern society.”