Xin Shu
Stairs, Pool, Tub
Class of: 2026
Major: Design and Technology BFA
Medium: Combination of photography and collage
Faculty: Diana Shpungin
Prompt: Portrait As Place: Using photographs taken in NYC and collage with 3D materials to create the place that shows who you are in one color.
When I think of what place shapes my identity. My mind jumps to the pieces of memory I have with my grandma growing up. She taught me what 1+1 is on the stairs, chased me when I spilled the water out of the pool, and asked me not to spend too much time in the tub. So I constructed my piece with the three places in my old house. While in NYC, I took images of trees and lakes in parks and parts of texture on the street. I made this collage in pink with leftover holographic papers and scrap fabrics. Finally, I created the silhouette of my dreamy, sheltered, and worry-free childhood with black and white photo-based surfaces.