Homecoming Exhibit
By: Anna Kim, Emilia Kniestedt, Sylvia Langer, and Elaine Qiao
On Monday, Dec. 3, senior Sabrina Kearney’s ongoing art exhibition “Homecoming,” a series of paintings focusing on identity and critiquing societal norms and gender expectations, premiered at the Lamont Gallery. Kearney wanted to showcase her personal experiences with identity while also sending a message to the greater Exeter community.
Kearney’s time at Exeter has allowed her to explore the issues she now addresses in her paintings. “I wanted to show my artwork as a timeline of how I've changed and also to show what I now hold important,” Kearney said.
She explained how her art, which also explores the theme of “what it means to be a woman” not only speaks for herself, but for those around her. “Whenever I create, I'm not only thinking about what I want to make today, but also in what ways I can help people. I make art about these issues to hopefully help other people see from a different perspective.” Kearney said.
Lamont Gallery Manager Dustin Schuetz was a key part in the success of “Homecoming,” including contributing to the set up of the exhibit. “A big part of the exhibition layout is literally, ‘Where is this going to fit into the space we have?’ Once that is determined, we think about how the viewer will interact with the work.”
Shuetz continued, “With Sabrina’s series entitled ‘Why Did You Burn Us?,’ it was decided to install the paintings at a height so the viewer is looking directly into the eyes of the women depicted, forcing the viewer to literally ‘see’ these women and not ignore them.”
“Homecoming” is Kearney’s way of advocating for societal change. “Exeter forces you to be creative. Every time you're in a Harkness class, you're thinking, ‘Oh, what can I add to the conversation?’” Kearney explained.
To Kearney, artwork is a way to share her specific voice to the large societal conversation. “Homecoming” focuses on a few specific themes.“I want viewers to see [these issues] and recognize [that] these are problems in our society, and to think to themselves, ‘what can I do to try to fix this or try to make the world a better place?’” She continued, “I think everybody has unique skills and abilities. For me it just happened to be art.”
Kearney added, “I think every person is different and to be able to recognize that these issues exist and then think about your own skills is the first step to actually making positive change.”
Scheutz also shared his interpretation of Kearney’s work and its message for the Exeter community. “One of the themes in this exhibition is ‘self-portrait.’ How do you see yourself? How do you want to be seen? This is and has always been a part of life, for all age groups. It especially hits hard during the teenage years when you are constantly changing,” Scheutz said. “What we can do is embrace the difference without judgment.”
Yoga Instructor Dido Nydick attended Kearney’s artist talk, where Kearney discusses her artwork in greater depth. She cited her first impression of Kearney in a yoga class: “[She was] gentle, attentive, and politely mannered… I feel that Sabrina's demeanor exemplifies her humanitarian approach to her art. Her empathy contributes to her ability to understand both her subjects' suffering, pleasure, uniqueness and beauty,” Nydick said.
Nydick continued, “My favorite part of the exhibit is understanding Sabrina’s conviction to express herself in artwork and her mark-making using mediums of newsprint, floral wallpaper and embroidery. Sabrina's trust in process to reveal her truth is exemplary. Perhaps, other PEA students will cultivate this approach to making their own mark in their chosen specialty.”
Upper and close friend Cindy Su spoke of Kearney’s development as an artist and her pride in Kearney for exhibiting her work. “[These pieces] have always been with her, but she’s never showcased them and I’m so glad she did. It's not only a tribute to her own artistry and who she’s becoming as a person, but it’s also really great for someone like me who’s been her friend for a long time to see her in an additional light and see just how amazing her impact is through art as well.”
Su also spoke of the way Kearney expressed themes throughout her works. “They’re addressing topics like menstruating, inequality, appearances, acne, and things that are generally stigmatized. … as someone who also struggles as a woman and is constantly thinking about those things, I’m so glad that she was able to address those topics through her artwork.”
Kearney said, “It was a super fulfilling experience just to finally be able to share that part of myself with the community. [It was] a gesture of thanks to everybody that has supported me through the last three years,” she said. “I think having this opportunity to just give something back [to Exeter] was what I wanted and it just made me feel really great inside to be able to do that.”
