By Rong Peng

​

Claremont Graduate University’s (CGU) MFA program is pleased to announce NeverAfter, a group exhibition of current CGU MFA students opening March 13, 2021. In NeverAfter, 23 art pieces including paintings, sculptures, ceramic installations, and digital prints, are displayed in the Peggy Phelps and East Galleries on the first floor of the Art Building at the CGU campus.

 

At this particular time, the vision of what the world will be after life returns to normal has been widely discussed among the public. However, as many things have permanently changed, there is potentially no “after.” The subtitle “it’s always now” emphasized the importance of valuing and living in the present. NeverAfter brings the idea of order amidst chaos to the forefront. Eighteen artists' eclectic ideas come together in this exhibition and converge in the same direction. All of the works investigate or reflect our living environment and artist's attitude toward the abrupt changes. The exhibition also suggests the opportunity of reevaluating our identity that could exist in the chaos.  By looking at the nature of things, artists redefine the function of the objects. It's time to reflect on ourselves and think about what we really desire.

 

Peggy Phelps Gallery featured nine artists: Joy Fire, Angelica Banales, Claudia V. Solorzano, Shuai Xu, Jorge A. Jimenez Jr., Zafirah Ahmed, Isabella Hackerman, Marissa Reyes, and Alicia Cheatham. 

 

East Gallery presented nine artists including Janan Abdelmuti, Navi Navroudi, Casey Steggall, Holly Perez, Michelle Emami, Chang Liu, Celine O’Hara, K’von Blakemore-Johnson, and Naveen Hyder.

 

NeverAfter is organized and curated by the art students independently. This group show does not simply showcase the finest work of each art student, rather, it exposes a group of artists and students, living in a conflicting environment and facing an unpredictable future, who are making a space that lets the light in. NeverAfter will also have a virtual space on the website permanently for the viewers to check in anytime.