On April 17, 2025, UNC Charlotte’s Department of Art & Art History hosted a reception highlighting the final projects of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) seniors.

Their works are on display from April 7-25 on the first and second floors of the Rowe Arts Building. 

The evening began with all 19 graduates taking the stage to discuss their final projects. After this, the audience interacted with students further during a Q&A portion. The artworks spanned a variety of mediums, including paintings, sculptures, animations and video games.

Most of the art presented drew from deeply personal experiences, perspectives and reflections from the artists themselves.

From the very left of the stage, general media major Tea Aung began the reception as the first speaker. His project was an animation piece aimed at sharing his culture and traditions with the world. It depicted a story about a young boy trying to let go of his culture to ‘fit in’ with a new environment that he had never encountered. He starts to realize that his culture offers him a sense of identity no matter where he is.

“I made this because I believe that culture and tradition are very important in shaping who we are. I want people to see the influence it can have on children in maintaining a sense of identity and developing respect and appreciation for their culture,” said Aung.

Print media major Hirmani Brown’s project titled “Wanna Love Me Wanna Touch Me” dives into body dysmorphia (BDD) and what it is like living with it. BDD was defined by Brown verbally and depicted through her artwork. She made a name for herself, with the audience further inquiring about her piece during the Q&A.

“Living with BDD isn’t easy, but I combat this by drumming out society’s meaning for what a body, especially a Black woman’s body, should be or look like. I am who I am,” said Brown.

Digital media major Madeline Epperly presented a two-dimensional video game she made, consisting of 15,000 individual frames. The game delves into the complex emotional themes of drifting away from a close childhood friend and the lasting implications of that separation.

“I’m very excited to be done.
It was a lot of work, and it feels like it all really paid off. I have lots of family and friends here, and I am pretty much done with school, so I feel very accomplished,” said Epperly.

Epperly’s thesis prompted an audience member to ask about the difficulties of animating those themes throughout the storyline of the game.

“I think one of the more difficult parts is that there isn’t a villain. Just two friends that drift apart, and the complicated feelings of not knowing why were more difficult to animate; trying not to paint anyone negatively, but get across the feelings of confusion and loneliness, without villainizing anyone,” said Epperly.

One audience member asked, ‘What is the most difficult part about being an artist?’ This question was open to anyone who wanted to answer and seemed to be quite thought-provoking for the art graduates.

“Giving yourself some grace is the hardest part because, I mean, it’s true when they say you are your own worst critic,” said Tyler Wagoner, a photography major and art history minor. “Allowing yourself to accept that you’re not able to control every aspect and that things will go wrong every now and then.”

Illustration major Devin Cho added to this with similar introspection of how one views their own artwork.

“I have to say the hardest part is being my own worst critic and being a perfectionist. Even though a lot of people say ‘hey, it looks great’ or ‘hey, it looks amazing,’ I’ll always see something I feel that I could’ve done better,” said Cho. “Learning how to give myself some grace is very difficult at times. I try to do the best I can and just keep on producing.”

With many of the artists’ works containing deeply personal aspects, Epperly spoke about the challenges centered around vulnerability in art.

“I think the hardest part is being able to give a piece of yourself to an audience. Art is so personal, and I think everyone on this panel can agree that we put a piece of ourselves in everything we do,” said Epperly. “You have to be able to embarrass yourself a little; talk about the things that no one wants to talk about, but everyone should. Art is vulnerability, which is a very delicate thing.”

Painting major Ellen Doss reflected this sentiment with similar introspection, leading to a conversation about acceptance.

“A really difficult thing to overcome is when you know that you are an artist, but you also know how much vulnerability and exposure it’s going to take to pursue the path,” said Doss. “Once you are on the path, however, you realize how brave you really are, and it’s really beautiful.”

A large portion of the Q&A focused on advice from the soon-to-be graduates sought out by the audience. The artists’ diverse personalities offered a wide array of insights, each potentially more impactful depending on the person. 

One artist discussed the ambition behind an idea you believe in. She spoke about a piece of work she was proud of but was told to cut it short. The advice was that if you really believe in something, then you should follow through. Another artist’s advice centered around being more adaptable.

One artist spoke about considering the scope of a project and not adding too many unnecessary details. This allowed them to be happier and more at peace with their final product. Another artist’s advice was to leave room for experimentation. She found that through this, many new ideas and aspects can be found.

A few artists focused on productivity, offering practical tips such as keeping a calendar and remembering to take breaks.

Although some of the advice may seem contradictory, as one artist on stage even acknowledged, every art student found what personally works best for them. That, in itself, was a valuable takeaway.

With the artists’ work on show and their thesis discussed on stage, all graduates felt a sense of relief that this project was over.

Digital media major Micah Mujica described this evening as “bittersweet.” His project featured a three-dimensional animation of a warrior-like character.

“I’m really glad the project’s over, but it’s also scary to move on because I don’t know what I’m gonna do next. I’m proud of what I ended up with, and I’m excited,” said Mujica.

Throughout the evening, common themes seemed to be echoed by the graduates. They encountered similar challenges and shared common ambitions. Engaging with a room full of creatives reinforces the idea that being an artist is inherently tied to being human.

“I developed a bit of impostor syndrome because people are saying it’s good, but I can find a whole bunch of other ways I would want to improve on,” said Rosa Cruz.

Cruz’s project was a 2.5-dimensional video game displayed on a monitor that was open for people to experience.

“Since I’ve been at UNC Charlotte, I unfortunately have lost three people in my life. They were really impactful to me and pushed me further towards making my own product,” said Cruz. “Besides the passing of a few relatives, what inspired me would definitely be my love for video games.”

Karlen Lambert is a 3D interdisciplinary studies major and curatorial assistant at the Gaston County Museum of Art History. Her project was inspired by a late diagnosis of autism. 

“There was a period of grief and joy, and I wanted to express both of those things,” said Lambert. “This is an expression of the grief over lost time, misunderstandings and invalidation, but also the joy that comes with finding your community.”

She spent nearly a year working on this piece. Much of the work focused on the ceramic installation of individual pieces, a process that leaves little room for error.

“I spent a lot of long nights trying out different gazes that don’t always work, and ceramics is such a long process,” said Lambert. “I’m feeling really relieved and satisfied as an artist finishing probably one of the most introspective pieces that I’ve done.”

Aspiring concept artist Khoa Tang’s project was a horror video game. His artistic approach featured creating cute characters that contrast with the dark horror world around them.

“Even though you’re in a dark, bloody world, you’re seeing all these cute little characters while getting the satisfaction of solving all the puzzles,” said Tang.

Tang and many of the other artists reflected on friends, family, coworkers, departments and professors who have had a profound influence on their artistic journey over the past four years.

“I’m feeling very excited, very happy, but at the same time feel a bit sad because I’m leaving this very wonderful community,” said Tang.

That evening, the Bachelors of Fine Arts reception held a universe of artistry, imagination and soulfulness, simultaneously present among the physical corners of the Rowe Arts Building. The complexity and personal journeys of each graduate resulted in the creation of their final pieces as artists at UNC Charlotte.