Drawing and painting majors Helen Cox and Ja’Rie Gray are sharing the Gatov room in Cal State Long Beach’s art galleries from March 20-24.
The two students are pursuing master’s degrees in fine arts, and their thesis requires them to create a gallery exhibit.
Gatov east features Cox’s carousel-themed exhibit, displaying the silent screams of inanimate horses.
“An idea that came to me one morning when I was waking up of a carousel,” Cox said. “But on the carousel there was nothing but adults and they were from all walks of life and they all had their own individual traumas.”
Cox has been seeking out antique carousels and using the imagery to create the pieces she’s been working on since December 2014.
“I’m using [the carousel] as a metaphor,” Cox said, “for the way society spins in circles and we keep repeating the same mistakes.”
Connecting with her exhibit in Gatov west is Gray’s gallery. Her paintings feature portraits of Njideka Crosby-inspired African women, with a consistent theme revolving around a bottle of bleach.
Her exhibit represents a compelling personal story.
“Growing up, I wasn’t happy with my skin complexion because a majority of my family is of lighter skin,” Gray said. “So I grew up wondering, ‘Why am I the oddball?’”
Once when she was seven, she tried taking a bath in bleach, an item which continues to appear in paintings throughout the gallery. Now she’s promoting the message of accepting one’s physical appearance.
Gray said, “Don’t go to the extreme to try and be who you’re not.”
The galleries are located between the FA2 and FA3 buildings, and close at 5 p.m. They will be open free of charge until Thursday afternoon.