The winter art exhibition at Edmonds College will feature the diverse works of Brenno Kenji and quinn mcnichol, two faculty members of the college’s Art Department. Their show, “(In)Sights: the Eye Sees The I,” will run from Jan. 31 to March 21 at the Edmonds College Art Gallery on the third floor of Lynnwood Hall at 20000 68th Ave. W. in Lynnwood.
“(In)Sights: the Eye Sees The I” compellingly juxtaposes the distinct artistic practices of Kenji and mcnichol, inviting viewers into a dialogue that spans multiple perspectives and approaches. Their works, from life drawings to paintings and mixed-media installations, create a rich tapestry of ideas, forming a dynamic, multi-layered conversation about identity, perception, insight and creativity.
Kenji is an artist, educator and scholar whose work combines literature, philosophy and visual art. Born in Brazil, he earned a law degree at Federal University of Pernambuco before moving to the U.S. to pursue advanced studies in the humanities. He holds a Ph.D. in literature from UC Berkeley with a designated emphasis in critical theory.
Kenji taught literature and philosophy at the University of Southern California (2014–2021) and drawing and painting at Loyola Marymount University (2020–2022). After relocating to Washington in 2022, he began teaching at Gage Academy in Seattle and joined the faculty of Edmonds College in 2024.
Alongside his academic work, Kenji trained with mentors such as Sunny Apinchapong-Yang, Steve Huston and Mian Situ, who helped shape his approach to painting as an inherently dialogical activity.
“The works I selected for this exhibition occupy a unique intersection within this network of relationships,” said Kenji. “Created as teaching demonstrations, each piece encapsulates a specific time and space—the spacetime of learning and teaching. These works weave together a succession of moments and a plurality of perspectives: The artist meeting the subject, the teacher engaging with the student and the shared encounter between subject and artist, the now of intersubjectivity crystallized within an image that unfolds across time.”
Originally from Glenside, Pennsylvania, mcnichol engaged in independent study with Philadelphia artist Marcia Jones and earned a BFA in fine art from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in 2012. They have since participated in several programs and residencies, including the Emerging Artist in Residence program at Millersville University, Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution, Vermont Studio Center and Mount Gretna School of Art.
In addition to these formal studies, mcnichol spent a summer visiting Romanian artist Alice Schwager in her home studio to explore spiritual art therapies, expanding their emotional perception of their creative practice.
In 2021, mcnichol earned their MFA from the University of Washington’s School of Art + Art History + Design in Seattle. Post-graduation, they traveled extensively around the continental U.S. and Mexico, participating in residencies at El Sur in Tlalpan CDMX and Wonder Domes in Wonder Valley, California. They currently live in Seattle and are a member of SOIL, an artist-run gallery located in Pioneer Square.
“In the studio, the act of drawing, painting, carving, cutting, shaping and gluing is a way to bridge my daily fears and anxieties with a dreaming, playful mind,” mcnichol said. “This brings me to a settled space where I feel able to uproot and examine my lived or inherited sensations and experiences. I imagine art to be a regenerative, healing magic.”
The gallery is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. A reception celebrating the exhibition will be held at the gallery 2:30 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. Admission is free. For more information, visit edmonds.edu/gallery.