Mahima Kapoor’s MFA Thesis Exhibition at Mass College of Art’s Paine Gallery in May 2018. Image: Eduardo L. Rivera.
Below is a personal account of Mahima Kapoor’s MFA experience at MassArt:
As an international student coming to live in the States for the first time on my own, it was crucial for me to feel supported by the graduate school I attended. Fortunately, MassArt was exactly what I needed. This was reflected in my art practice; I used MassArt’s extensive resources to expand my repertoire, blurring media boundaries and experiencing the freedom to experiment.
My MFA thesis exhibition was an installation of paintings that suggest sculptural forms, like organisms adjusting to a new environment, questioning the limits of their architectural space and even intruding in a very gentle manner. The creative process was organic, similar to drawing with one’s hands in a pond of shallow water. Throughout my time at MassArt, cross-disciplinary critiques and conversations with faculty and colleagues helped me define my work and kept me going during the installation process. I appreciated the level of faculty involvement in my process; it was clear that they wanted me to be fully honest with my work.
I am currently in Paris with L’AiR international artist residency, following two other residencies since graduating in May, at Salem Art Works in New York and the UCROSS Foundation in Wyoming. My plan now is to move back to New Delhi to start working my way into the small but growing contemporary art community in India. I find it stimulating to be an international artist, meeting amazing artists around the world, a process that began with my decision to attend MassArt.
For more information on MassArt graduate degrees, visit massart.edu/Graduate-Programs.
