Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition  

HUB-Robeson Center | HUB Gallery 

On View | March 28, 2025 – April 27, 2025 

Presentations: March 28, 2025, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. 

University Park, P.A.- The HUB-Robeson Galleries, in partnership with the Graduate School, are proud to present the Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition. The exhibition will be on display in HUB Gallery from March 28, 2025, through April 27, 2025. Established in 1986, the Graduate Research Exhibition, hosted by the Graduate School, places special emphasis on communicating research and their creative endeavor to a general audience and offers professional development opportunities by challenging students to present their work to new audiences.

The Visual Arts option is designed for students required to create studio work as a part of their graduate degree program and gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate the significance of their ideas and creative research to jurors from outside of their field who score the works and award prizes. All are welcome to the presentations of candidates on March 28, 2025, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in HUB Gallery. Meet current Visual Arts graduate students and learn more about their studio practice.

Throughout their programs, MFA candidates work closely with art faculty and fellow artists to develop advanced techniques, expand concepts, discuss critical issues, and emerge with a vision for their personal work. Through a broad range of mediums spanning from painting and drawing to ceramic, graphic design, and new media, each piece is compelling in its own way and demonstrates the diversity of artistic research by Penn State graduate students.

This year’s Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition features a variety of artwork speaking to the personal experiences of six different candidates. Elaheh Babaei’s “Tokmeh Couture” explores the intersection of Iranian architectural ornaments and contemporary fashion through graphic design inspired by the structural elegance of tessellation. Babaei’s project translates traditional motifs of geometric and ornamental patterns found in Iranian architecture and art and reinterprets them in modern design. Working with photomontage, Venus Bayat uses historical moments of women's presence throughout generations by merging a 1960s unknown photographer with their own contemporary work. Bayat’s, “The Women Who Keep History Alive” explores the intersection of the past and present and emphasizes how women preserve and reinterpret history. Robert Botchway delves into the intricate relationship between emotion and musical expression by blending fragments of musical instruments with abstract ceramic sculptures. Botchway's hybrid forms evoke the familiarity of traditional instruments while pushing into uncharted territory, challenging perceptions of both sound and form in deeply personal ways. Cecil Fish’s innovative approach to painting in the expanded field centers on the complexity of connecting with an over-abundant world. Through nature, people, and himself combined with new media, this draws the viewer in for exploration and evokes a sensation of being alive in an era of wonders, information overload, and facing an uncertain future. Betsa Houshmandipanah’s, “Warp and Weft” is inspired by childhood memories, particularly a Persian rug. She breathes new life into traditional forms through a combination of clay and yarn, which transforms the textile into a three-dimensional form. Her reimagining brings the old-world utilitarian essence into contemporary life while honoring its deep cultural significance. Adwar Oguttuh’s large-scale confrontational portraits capture profound stories of resilience for each subject. Through highly skilled dry media, these stories transcend cultural boundaries to illuminate how perseverance shape identity and strength. Together, these works ask the viewer to be present in experiencing the nuance and beauty around us.

Each work of art in the Visual Arts Annual Graduate Research Exhibition reveals insights into the creative process. Penn State graduate students’ dedicated study and artistic exploration culminate in work that provokes reflection on contemporary art practices and fosters dialogue on the meaning of artmaking today.

The Penn State community is encouraged to visit the exhibition in-person at HUB Gallery to experience this unique collection of artworks. HUB Gallery is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and admission is free for all, always. 

HUB-Robeson Galleries welcome and encourage class, office, and student organization group visits. Student and staff-led tours are available; email Galleries@psu.edu with inquiries. 

For more information on this and other exhibitions, contact HUB-Robeson Galleries at (814) 865-2563, or visit the website at student affairs.psu.edu/hub/art-galleries. Keep up to date with HUB-Robeson Galleries by signing up for our Listserv or following us on Instagram @hubrobesongalleries. 

Contact: Robert Sparrow Jones, Curator and Senior Gallery Manager, HUB-Robeson Galleries (814) 863-0815, rkj5315@psu.edu.