Dreams:
A Tufts-Community Art Showcase
Digital Design Studio / Tisch Library / Tufts University
Curated by Digital Media Specialist Kylie Terra Burnham '22, M.A Candidate in Museum Education; DDS Project Lead Anju Ishizaki '22, B.S. candidate in Applied Physics and B.A. candidate in Computer Science; and DDS Project Lead Calisa Sana '23, B.S. candidate in Engineering Psychology and B.F.A. candidate in Art.
Submissions were welcomed from all Tufts students, staff, and faculty through April 3rd, 2022.
Dreams can be ethereal. Dreams can be aspirational. Dreams can defy logic. Dreams can feel real. Dreams can be pleasing. Dreams can be frightening. Dreams can be desires driving us forward, and dreams can be abstractions we get stuck in.
Dreaming is an integral part of our neurobiology. We have two dream stages: one in which flashes of events from the day are remembered, and REM sleep, which projects a continuous image, creating a whole world. As opposed to non-REM dreams which directly replicate memories, REM sleep recombines and modifies memories—sometimes in bizarre ways, sometimes completely random, sometimes allowing us to make predictions for the future, sometimes interpreting the past, often telling stories.
This has been shown in studies with mice monitored during and after attempting a maze: during non-REM sleep, their brains flash signals directly corresponding to
perceptions of theirs from during the day, while during REM sleep, their brains change those signals, exploring alternate routes. If non-REM dreams are fragments of our day, REM dreams are a simulated world, a prediction of the future, asking “What if things happened this way? Could this be a possible relationship between these things?”
As you explore the art in this showcase, consider how each piece explores facets of what dreams can be, and how these pieces contribute collectively to dreams for Tufts' future.
Dreams, like digital realms, have a liminal quality: in between waking and unconsciousness, in between this world and another, in between now and the moment of waking. From that positionality, dreams help us process the past, and imagine – and through imagining, create – the future. So follow your dreams—and dream big.
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Note: Clicking on an image below will open up a "lightbox" with that image, and clicking again will zoom in so you can explore the details.
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Chenxi Zhang '25. B.F.A. candidate in Studio Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Above
Agua Album, 2020. Stop Motion Photography. (0:07 sec.)
Artist statement: “Complex emotions towards our family are something that makes humans unique. No matter where we are, those memories along with emotions support our passion for living, as well as contributing to the pretty world we see. However, I lost most of them. I could remember the event that occurred, but I couldn’t remember the face: the person with whom I spent my happiest time. In this video, I used light and water as a tool to repair the time with my family. Light is the source that keeps me brave at night when I have to stay in a room all alone. Water brings memory along and remembers it for us. Whenever we need memory, water will always be there. So I used water to dissolve the face on the photograph in order to visualize the disappearance of my memory. Then I place the photograph in the water and project it in a dark space. As light comes out of the projector, forming the photograph on the wall, I blow the water with a hairdryer so that the water fluctuates. By placing the black & white faces under the hole and with some film editing, faces replaced the black holes, lighting up the dark space with the help of the projector. Even though not clear enough for me to see every detail that happened on those days, I could still recognize who they are: they are the ones that always support me no matter what happens.”
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Light, 2021. Video. (7:18 min.)
Artist statement: “A gift for friends I met in the game, as well as for those who encountered separation.”
Khushbu Kshirsagar AG21 (she/her). M.S. in S.T.E.M. Education. Research Assistant, Center for Engineering Education and Outreach.
Sigh!, 2020. Video/VR.
Read more about and interact with Sigh! >>
Colin Wang ‘24 (he/him). B.F.A. candidate, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Above
Kinogram #9, 2021. Film. (7:19 min.)
Artist statement: “An experimental collage of archival material from the Library of Congress.”
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A Thousand Cars At Night Looks Like A Moving Train, 2021. Short / Animation. (19:32 min.)
Artist statement: “A homeless man, chronic daydreamer, aspiring fisherman, stumbles upon guidance from an eccentric self-help program. A mix of live-action and animation.”
Xingfeiyang Liu ‘26 (she/her). B.A. candidate, undeclared, School of Arts & Sciences and B.F.A. candidate in Fine Arts, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
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Metopia. Unity 3D. (0:45 sec.)
Artist statement: “A project made for my 'Building Utopia' course that builds a scene using only my past artwork. Inspired by M.C. Esher's 'relativity', this project visualized his crisscrossed staircases in a 3D scene.”
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Swimmer, 2022. Unity 3D. (00:49 sec.)
Artist statement: “This is a project created for the course 'Building Utopia'. The skeleton swims from one end of an hourglass to another end, and swimming upward in the air is something that used to happen in my dreams.”
Empress Jones ‘25 (she/her). B.A. candidate in Biology, School of Arts & Sciences.
The Canvas, 2022. Audio.
Artist statement: “The Canvas: I always thought of dreams as a fresh start. Something new, where even if not for long, you could see different realities. So, in a sense, a dream is similar to a blank canvas, waiting to be transformed by whatever you like.”
Joy Bedford ‘24 (she/they). B.F.A. candidate in Studio Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Above
Sweetheart. Animated Scratchboard.
Artist statement: “A Valentine's Day gift using a modified palimpsest technique.”
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The Curse of Eve, 2021. Drawing.
The Companion Zine, 2021. Zine.
Content warning: Sexual violence, nudity.
Artist statement: “The Curse of Eve is an exploration of feminine pain and sexual violence through a historical lens, using Baroque and Renaissance paintings as reference. The piece contains figures directly referenced from classical painting, the companion zine walks the audience through some of the references contained within. Working off the classic Bible story, Eve has a vision of all the pain she will cause women the moment God curses women to be second to men forever.”
Emily Jeong '22 (she/her). B.F.A. candidate in Studio Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Artist statement: "There's No Place Like Home is a continuation of the artist's exploration into the immigrant experience and sense of belonging. As we seek what grounds us and our identities in this ever changing world, the idea of home can bring comfort and stability. But what if home is a fleeting feeling in the face of life’s chaos? So much so that you feel as though your home could uproot itself and walk away from you at any moment?"
There’s No Place Like Home, 2022. Digital Illustration.
Ryan O'Hara (he/they). Joint Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering and Material Science, School of Engineering.
Left
Lost Moments, 2021. Digital Photography.
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Lost Moments, 2022. Digital Photography.
Artist statement: “Dreams are where we often find ourselves, or at least a version of ourselves. From waking up having dreamt about homework or someone special to us, they often pinpoint what is on our minds before we know it. They are pathways of discovery, even if they take a strange or unappealing form. Despite these nightly portals into our subconscious, we rarely remember our dreams besides fuzzy moments or exciting sights. These pictures are meant to mimic those moments lost to an alarm, those sights that were not exciting but still strange or unappealing. Those lost dream moments are still part of us, and there is value in their creation and destruction even if they are forgotten.”
Aidan Sky Chang '23 (she/her). B.A. candidate in Film and Media Studies, School of Arts & Sciences.
The Moon and Her Sea, 2022. Digital illustration.
The Moon and Her Sea, 2022. Digital illustration.
Artist statement: “The figure in this image is a representation of my sister. To me, the moon and the sea perfectly represent her mysteriousness and unseen depth. I wanted to depict her in a way that shows her strength over her persona and the hardships in life. It is my dream to see her this content with her circumstances.”
Renessa Rabenda '23 (she/her). M.A. candidate in Museum Education, School of Arts & Sciences.
Looking Through A Window, 2021. Digital Collage.
Artist statement: “Looking Through a Window is a contemporary collage utilizing Adobe Photoshop and cell phone camera photographs. Images were taken around campus, specifically Barnum Hall and Tisch Library, as well as the artist’s apartment and surrounding area. Two images are of contemporary works showcased on Tufts University’s campus. These include Julie Graham’s, Color Chart Showing Pigment Behavior (1999) (Tisch Library) and an unknown student’s artist statement in Barnum Hall. The collage process included layering, blurring, changing opacity, and altering colors.”
Daniela Steinberg ‘24 (she/they). B.A. candidate in Anthropology and Art History, School of Arts & Sciences.
Moth Warrior In a Field of Flowers Before The Storm, 2022. Digital Illustration.
Artist statement: “Hello! My name is Daniela Steinberg and I am an artist and illustrator working in collage and mixed media. I am based in Boston and Milwaukee and am a student at Tufts University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts.”
Miles Donovan (he/him). Digital Design Assistant at the Digital Scholarship department, Tisch Library.
Another Day Another Night, 2022. Digital Illustration.
Max Anavian ‘22 (he/him). B.S. candidate in Computer Science, School of Arts & Sciences.
Other World, 2022. 35mm Film.
Artist statement: "Kyoto, Japan Shot on Fujifilm X-Tra 400 35mm."
Jenna September ‘23 (she/her). B.F.A. candidate in Studio Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Apothecary, 2020. Digital Illustration.
Tingwei Li ‘23 (he/him). M.S. candidate in Data Analytics, School of Arts & Sciences.
Color, 2022.
Irina Mengqi Wang '22 (she/her). B.S. candidate in Computer Science and Cognitive Brain Science.
California Dreamin', 2022. Digital Photography.
Priya Dave '22 (she/her). M.F.A. candidate in Painting, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
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Next Possibility, 2022. Mixed Media.
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Possibilities, 2022. Mixed Media.
Artist statement: “Priya Dave is a multidisciplinary artist that works with Neuropsychology and Art. By examining the fundamental phenomena of neurons, Dave's artwork aids the spectator in healing. Next Possibilities is a multimedia piece that depicts a fictitious universe of Neurons that floats and lives in a waterscape. The waterscape is a creative simulation of Brain space. The transparency contains a secret key that allows you to move from one layer to the next, much like a continuous Dream cycle."
Isaac Gewirth ‘25 (he/they). B.A. candidate in Object Studies, School of Arts & Sciences, and B.F.A. candidate in Studio Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Projected Representations of a Room, 2021. Rhino, Wood, String, iPhone Camera, Digital Print.
Artist statement: “In the spring of my first year here at Tufts, I spent more than a lot of time in a specific room in the basement of the Fletcher building. This room came to encompass many aspects of my days, and I began to place information, memory, and feeling in the physicality of the space. This significance led me to the conceptual problem of representing the room as an artwork to be viewed and a personal record of my experience in the space. Over the course of my time in the room, I created a series of images and sculptures using various methods of spatial representation, which I describe below. The work that came out of this line of inquiry stemmed from previous investigations into the assumed objectivity of mathematical projection of space onto the 2D surface and the political/ontological implications of this challenge. I began by creating a detailed three-dimensional computer model, which I rendered to mimic photos I took of the space. Then, I choose a single central point in the room that would function as the "eye" (0,0,0), which would be the center of the representational systems that I would implement. I first recorded the room using twine tied between the eye-point and the corners, which defined the walls of the space. Once disassembled, this resulted in a collection of different lengths of string which referred to the room's dimensions. Next, I created an equirectangular projection onto which I "projected" some images of the space. Finally, I made a sculpture from plywood and light that uses the lines of sight that emanate from the eye-point to puncture holes in the surface of an octahedron illuminated with a lightbulb from the inside. By presenting the space through these varying forms of representation, I intend to provoke the viewer's curiosity and invite them into a room where I came to situate experience, thought, feelings, and 'dreams.'"
