Graduate Theses
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Negotiating Identity: Esteban Vicente, the New York School and the Tension between Market Demands and Self-positioning
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
This thesis investigates the trajectory of Spanish painter Esteban Vicente (1903–2001) to explore the tension between structural constraints and individual agency in the Postwar American art market. While traditional art history often frames the Abstract Expressionist canon as a meritocratic evolution of style, this study utilizes the sociological frameworks of Harrison and Cynthia White’s "dealer-critic system" to argue that Vicente’s marginalization was a structural inevitability rather than an artistic failure.
The research proceeds in three acts. First, it maps the "Dealer-Critic" machinery of the New York School, analyzing how dealers, critics, and Cold War politics constructed a rigid national narrative that merged "American" identity with artistic validity. Second, it traces Vicente’s exercise of agency within this structural landscape, arguing that his refusal to perform the "action painter" persona or assimilate his Spanish heritage into the dominant American mythos made him institutionally illegible.
Finally, it analyzes the economic consequences of these negotiations, contrasting the "administrative pricing" that contained his value during his lifetime with the explosive market revaluation that occurred posthumously. The recent surge in Vicente’s auction prices, driven by a strategic rebranding of his work through a "Spanish" and "Pastoral" lens, demonstrates that artistic legitimacy in the contemporary U.S. market is not determined by merit alone, but constructed through the interaction of identity politics, institutional framing, and market valuation.
The research proceeds in three acts. First, it maps the "Dealer-Critic" machinery of the New York School, analyzing how dealers, critics, and Cold War politics constructed a rigid national narrative that merged "American" identity with artistic validity. Second, it traces Vicente’s exercise of agency within this structural landscape, arguing that his refusal to perform the "action painter" persona or assimilate his Spanish heritage into the dominant American mythos made him institutionally illegible.
Finally, it analyzes the economic consequences of these negotiations, contrasting the "administrative pricing" that contained his value during his lifetime with the explosive market revaluation that occurred posthumously. The recent surge in Vicente’s auction prices, driven by a strategic rebranding of his work through a "Spanish" and "Pastoral" lens, demonstrates that artistic legitimacy in the contemporary U.S. market is not determined by merit alone, but constructed through the interaction of identity politics, institutional framing, and market valuation.
Designing the Future of Cultural Experiences: The Hybrid Gallery–Café–Club Model of Studio 88 Gallery
Chang Gao
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
As the art and design culture has grown among contemporary culture, modern participation in art culture has significantly increased among the contemporary audience. Interdisciplinary spaces integrating exhibition, retail, dining, and landscape design have become increasingly influential in shaping contemporary cultural consumption. Hybrid cultural–commercial spaces are rapidly reshaping how audiences experience art and lifestyle consumption. As interdisciplinary models gain prominence across creative industries, research has not kept pace. This study investigates the emergence of hybrid cultural–commercial institutions in (Part 1) a case study on the Luo Hong Art Museum and (Part 2) a business plan for Studio 88 Gallery. As there appears to be limited research on existing business models on such hybrid spaces, the case study analyses the Luo Hong Art Museum's interdisciplinary model—integrating exhibition, patisserie, and garden—to understand its experiential architecture, market reception, and strategic evolution. With the valuable insights from the case study, Part 2 contains Studio 88 Gallery's business plan, detailing its hybrid gallery–café–nightlife model, spatial design, operations, and financial strategy.
Situating Spirituality in the Contemporary Art Market: From Cultural Essence to Experiential Engagement and Strategic Innovation
Chengze Wu
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
This thesis consists of a case study (Part 1) and a business plan (Part 2), examining the structural marginalization of religious art and sacred arts within the contemporary art market. The case study analyzes how secular critical norms, limited audience bases, fragile funding models, and the dominance of commercial aesthetics collectively undermine the visibility and long-term viability of spiritually grounded art institutions. Although religious and sacred art possess significant cultural, philosophical, and spiritual value, they remain disadvantaged within a profit-driven art ecosystem.To address these systemic challenges, the business plan proposes a development model for Three Mountains Gallery in partnership with the Taoist Association of New York, positioning Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) as the central strategy for cultural engagement and community formation. As contemporary audiences increasingly seek emotionally resonant, contemplative, and spiritually oriented art experiences, ICH provides an accessible entry point for broadening participation. Through collaborations with ICH artists and related cultural programming, the project aims to cultivate a stable cultural community and establish diversified revenue streams, ultimately creating a sustainable framework through which religious and sacred art can regain relevance and agency within the broader cultural landscape.
The Silenced Partner
Miriam Girard
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
In the early twentieth century, women's presence in the art world—as artists, dealers, collectors, and scholars—was shaped by persistent barriers to entry. Legal restrictions, social expectations tied to class and wealth, and institutional exclusions from training and recognition meant that women often navigated indirect or unconventional paths to participate in artistic and commercial networks. An examination of the career of Marie Nordlinger-Riefstahl (1876-1961) illustrates both the opportunities and constraints—legal, social, financial, cultural, and terminological—that shaped women's entry into the art market and contributed to their obscurity in later histories. This study situates Marie Nordlinger-Riefstahl's professional contributions within the early twentieth-century art market, tracing her involvement in artistic training, commercial exchange, and collector networks across the transatlantic sphere, including England, France, Germany, and the United States. Drawing on archival research, biographical reconstruction, and sociological approaches to professional networks, it examines how her work intersected with dealers, collectors, and institutions while remaining unevenly documented within the historical record. Although aspects of her life and career remain unresolved, the analysis restores attention to a figure whose trajectory illuminates broader dynamics of gender, visibility, and omission in art-market history.The aim of this study is to contribute to ongoing scholarship on the marginalization of women's professional labor in art-historical and art market narratives. While Nordlinger-Riefstahl warrants examination as an individual historical actor, her case also raises critical questions about how expertise, mediation, and authorship were recorded—and obscured—within the art market. Her recovery not only repositions an overlooked figure but also has implications for provenance research, museum practice, and the study of professional networks.
Sound, Uprising, and Cultural Transmission: Examining the Intersection of Sound Art, Arab Spring, and MENA Art Dissemination in North America
Brett Goran Ojdanic
- 2026
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
This paper investigates how sound art operated as a politically charged medium during the Arab Spring and traces the following reception and absorption of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) sound artists within North American institutional and commercial frameworks. While sound art has long existed on the periphery of the global art market, the Arab Spring stressed its role as a tool for political expression and collective mobilization. The paper argues that the heightened visibility of MENA sound practices in this period catalyzed a shift in how North American museums, galleries, and art fairs engaged with the medium, transforming politically urgent and regional works into exhibitions of curatorial display and market circulation. Utilizing artist Tarek Atoui as a case study and other less extensive examples by situating their trajectories within broader patterns of post-9/11 orientalism, migration, and cultural diplomacy, this research interrogates the tensions between political intent and institutional appropriation. In doing so, it reframes the narrative of sound art not as a universal avant-garde, but as a transnational medium channeled by geopolitical conflict, diaspora, and the infrastructures of the art market.
What Is Missing in Contemporary Art in India Today? Nature Morte: A Model of Success Age of Aesthetics: Reimagining Art Into a New Existence
Namya Jain
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
The contemporary art market in India remains a niche field today. It is primarily dominated by UHNWI and HNWI collectors, whose financial capacity aligns with the prevailing pricing structures of the market, making it highly exclusive. Due to this, even though the country possesses a deep and diverse artistic lineage, two major gaps persist in the structure of its art market. First, new generations, such as Gen Z, remain distant from contemporary art of India due to lack of affordability and cultural familiarity. Second, emerging artists struggle to find platforms that allow genuine creative freedom. These structural barriers prevent broader engagement and restrict the development of an inclusive and diverse art ecosystem. To fulfil these gaps, this thesis first presents a case study on Nature Morte, examining it as a model of resilience and success in India's contemporary art sphere. Nature Morte is a gallery that introduced experimental, conceptual, and unconventional practices of art into the country at a time when no clear market for such work existed, and it continues to do so today. Through long-term consistency, curatorial risk-taking, and strategic adaptability, Nature Morte expanded the scope of contemporary art in India, and maintained a balance between cultural value and business viability. Its trajectory illustrates how an art initiative can thrive by shaping rather than following market expectations. Building upon these insights, the second part of this thesis proposes a business plan for a venture called "Age of Aesthetics," that acts as a solution to the current, identified gaps in the Indian art market. The model offers original graphic art prints inspired by iconic, Indian modern masters and reinterpreted through Gen Z aesthetics. In other words, the brand combines what is working well in the Indian market with what is missing in it. It does so by making contemporary art in India accessible, affordable, aspirational, and relatable to new audiences. By supporting emerging artists and appealing to emerging collectors through design-forward, digital storytelling, the plan aims to cultivate a new entry point into India's art ecosystem, with the creation of an alternative market for contemporary art in India that democratizes inclusivity. Together, the case study and business plan work in dialogue: the first analyzes how a gallery successfully expanded India's contemporary art discourse, and the other proposes how the next wave of participation – rooted in digital culture, affordability, and contemporary aesthetics, can widen that discourse even further. Ultimately, this thesis argues that what is missing in contemporary art in India today is not creativity, but accessibility and connection. It overcomes this challenge by strategizing to reconnect younger generations with their cultural roots, while opening gates to endless creative and commercial possibilities in the Indian art market.
Re:Ground: A New Approach to Art-Centered Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Architecture and Institutional Transformation in Korea
Jooyoung Lee
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
This thesis conceptualizes art-centered adaptive reuse as a cultural and institutional strategy and examines how abandoned architecture can be reinterpreted as socially and symbolically meaningful artistic space. While vacant buildings in urban environments are often perceived as indicators of decline, they reveal deeper tensions generated by competing forces of economic development, cultural preservation, and the erosion of community relations. To address these issues, the study theorizes artistic adaptive reuse not as a form of physical restoration, but as a cultural practice that reconstructs urban memory and identity.The transformation of the former Seoul Station—originally a colonial-era railway terminal—into Culture Station Seoul 284 serves as the central case study. By analyzing its architectural preservation, curatorial programming, and administrative governance, the research investigates how the site was reconfigured into a state-supported cultural institution. A comparative analysis with Tate Modern, Musée d'Orsay, and MoMA PS1 further situates the Korean model within international frameworks of cultural repurposing, illuminating both its distinctive characteristics and its institutional limitations.Building upon these analyses, the thesis proposes Re:Ground, an arts-based urban regeneration consultancy. Re:Ground offers a practical framework—structured across the stages of diagnosis, design, implementation, and evaluation—that enables underutilized spaces to transition into sustainable cultural infrastructure. By translating the study's theoretical insights into a viable operational model, the project demonstrates that arts-based adaptive reuse extends beyond architectural transformation and functions as a sustainable process that reshapes cultural value, community relations, and institutional structures in contemporary cities.
Unveiled: The Veil in Fashion
Frida McKeon Loyola
- 2025
- Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Text
- Thesis
The veil is a highly polarizing topic today, laden with heavy symbolism it is frequently positioned in binaries—East versus West, oppressive or liberatory, a symbol of modesty and sensuality. Looking past these oppositions, the veil is also a point of intersection for complex themes such as women's agency, religion, politics, and culture. In the twenty-first century, the veil has increasingly become associated with Islamic religious customs. However, the practice of covering the head, hair, and face have been observed by women across various cultures and faiths throughout history. Unveiled: The Veil in Fashion is a proposed exhibition that seeks to widen the aperture of this practice. Previous exhibitions have explored the veil solely as a religious object or as the appendage of a wedding ensemble. Unveiled acknowledges the religious context of the veil and moves on. The exhibition explores the veil through its complex interwoven symbolism and brings to the fore women's agency while engaging in this practice.
Gilded by Nature: Beetle Wings in Global Dress and Colonial Entanglement
Hillary Higginbotham
- 2025
- Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Text
- Thesis
Gilded by Nature: Beetle Wings in Global Dress and Colonial Entanglement is a proposed exhibition that examines how iridescent beetle wings have been used in dress and adornment across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Indigenous communities in the Americas, and how these materials entered Western museum collections through colonial pathways. Anchored at the Pitt Rivers Museum, an institution shaped by typological classification and imperial collecting networks, the exhibition applies decolonial methods to question how museums organize knowledge and privilege certain perspectives. It brings together material study and aesthetic analysis to reframe beetle wing objects as expressions of cultural knowledge and specialized knowledge. By tracing their histories and centering the communities who created them, the exhibition positions the museum as a learning space.The project is rooted in my research on global textiles and museum decolonization. It begins with the brilliance of beetle wings, particularly the shimmering elytra of jewel beetles in the Buprestidae family, and uses this as a lens for examining the labor, symbolism, and specialized knowledge embedded in traditions across India, Thailand, Myanmar, and regions throughout Asia and the Americas. The exhibition reconsiders objects that have been historically minimized through typological classification, offering a more attentive and contextual approach to their interpretation. Following the movement of beetle wing objects from community and ceremonial into colonial hands reveals how they were removed from their contexts and reframed through Western narratives of spectacle and classification. Guided by decolonial aims that include creating visibility and decentering dominant interpretive structures, the exhibition proposes revised object groupings and clearer interpretive texts that support stronger relationships between the Pitt Rivers and its audiences. Beetle wing objects become a means to confront colonial histories and model more inclusive approaches to global dress and object interpretation.
Administering Universality: Art as Governance at the United Nations and Documenta
Norma Barratt
- 2025
- Art Market Studies
- Text
- Thesis
This thesis argues that the language of universality in major cultural institutions is not a neutral ideal but an administrative artifact, produced through the management of art rather than through its meanings. Focusing on the United Nations Art Collection in New York and Documenta in Kassel, the study examines how postwar political authority is staged through artworks that appear to represent global consensus, while in fact materializing systems of visibility, protocol, funding, and bureaucratic control.At the United Nations, artworks do not enter through curatorial selection but through diplomatic gifting. Their acceptance, placement, and conservation are governed by the Protocol and Liaison Service, revealing that symbolic value hinges more on geopolitical appropriateness than aesthetic evaluation. Works such as the Guernica tapestry, Chagall's Peace Window, and Portinari's War and Peace demonstrate how art can be ritualized, censored, sanctified, or foregrounded as international identity. Here, neutrality is not expressed by art but performed through its management.Documenta, by contrast, cultivates the ideal of artistic freedom through rotating curatorial authorship. Yet that freedom is administratively granted by the German state and subject to oversight, budgetary discipline, and political intervention. The controversies surrounding Documenta 14 and 15 show that collective curating, decolonial critique, and redistributed authorship remain tolerable only within the limits of state governance. When autonomy exceeds those limits, it is reclassified as failure and reabsorbed through reform.Read together, these institutions reveal that art does not merely symbolize universality, it produces it as a fragile performance. Universality becomes a curatorial achievement, sustained by procedure, visibility, and the constant negotiation between global aspiration and political constraint.
(Un) Professional Fabulous
Genevieve Zhuoran Li
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Genevieve Zhuoran Li is a Chinese fashion designer redefining silhouettes through deconstructive construction and gender-fluid tailoring. Her work blends post-minimalism and subversive prints to explore psychology, individuality, and societal dynamics. With a strong foundation in patternmaking, she integrates historical and contemporary elements to challenge traditional power structures. Genevieve holds a BFA from SCAD and an MFA from FIT, both in fashion design, excelling in team leadership, emerging technologies, and cross-disciplinary collaboration while adapting to evolving industry trends.
Undefined Deity
Runtan Desmond Du
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Runtan Desmond Du is a New York based fashion designer. He started studying at Parsons School of Design in 2018 and earned his MFA degree at Fashion Institute of Technology. Du's label "run tan du" debuted during Shanghai Fashion Week in 2020 with its SS21 collection. Du is strongly inspired by cultures across the globe and his personal interests in history and archeology. He and his works are dedicated to anti-hate and world peace.
Tiled Treasures
Lawson Park
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Lawson Park is a textile and womenswear designer whose styles exude joy. Raised in Charlotte, NC by artist parents, she developed a lifelong love for color and craftsmanship. After earning her BA at UNC-Chapel Hill in Advertising, PR, & Design, she spent a year gaining industry experience before pursuing her MFA in Fashion Design at FIT. Lawson has channeled that passion into founding Brooks Avenue, where painterly prints — from sun-drenched florals to whimsical motifs — blend vintage charm with modern ease in feminine silhouettes.
Therefore, I Am.
Sanyam Sharma
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Sanyam Sharma is an India-born fashion designer whose work seamlessly combines creativity, philosophy, and artistic expression with accessibility. Her designs transform personal and emotional experiences into wearable narratives using fashion as a medium for storytelling and exploring the essence of being. Sharma has worked with Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung, and Hellessy. She graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Sharma earned an AAS and MFA in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The Kiss of Time
Yawen Chen
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Yawen Chen is a fashion designer whose work blends natural elegance and romanticism, redefining modern femininity. She specializes in layered structures and intricate fabrics, capturing movement and emotion in her designs. Inspired by nature, time, and traditional craftsmanship, she balances classic and contemporary elements, creating pieces with character and depth. Her designs emphasize fine detailing, textile innovation, and artistic expression. She earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Fashion Design from FIT.
The Fourth Dimension
Mina Khademi
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Recognized for synthesizing computational design principles with haute couture craftsmanship, Mina Khademi is a Persian-born fashion designer and MFA graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Her work bridges algorithmic rigor and organic movement while celebrating technical innovation. With expertise in translating avant-garde concepts into commercially viable collections for global markets, Khademi leverages advanced prototyping and parametric modeling to optimize design-to-production workflows. Her designs embody a philosophy where fashion intersects engineering – empowering wearers through precision, scalability, and artistry.
Precognitive
Kiki Wanjing Zuo
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Kiki Wanjing Zuo is a Fashion Design MFA graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in blending high-tech elements, biomimicry, and reconstruction into ready-to-wear fashion. Her work explores abstract, ethereal concepts inspired by nature, architecture, and futuristic aesthetics. Kiki combines intricate fabric manipulation, innovative technology, and fluid yet structured designs. She employs 3D printing, optical illusions, and biomimetic structures to push the boundaries of wearable art. Kiki has collaborated with GAP X Balenciaga, NIKE, and Blizzard, showcasing her ability to merge craftsmanship, futuristic techniques, and storytelling.
Pale Blue Dot
Layla Dian Jin
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Layla Dian Jin is a Chinese fashion designer who earned an undergraduate degree in Art Marketing before pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at FIT. Her work transforms abstract inspirations from the universe, philosophy and cultural history into visually striking and conceptually cohesive collections. By deconstructing and reconstructing Eastern and Western clothing structures, she explores the interplay between tradition and innovation. With expertise in fashion illustration, wearable sculpture, and textile manipulation, Jin pushes the boundaries of craftsmanship to create designs that challenge tradition while embracing artistic expression.
Motherhood
Matilda Tongying Liang
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Matilda Tongying Liang is an avant-garde fashion designer whose work challenges conventional boundaries through experimental material play and conceptual depth. Drawing inspiration from the maternality of nature, the balance of tenacity and vulnerability found in motherhood, and the cyclical philosophies of traditional Chinese culture, her designs embody a compelling tension between strength and softness. Her work emphasizes craftsmanship and the emotional relationship between garment, body, and narrative—positioning clothing as a medium of storytelling and transformation.
KALYANAM
Amrutha Ramkumar
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Amrutha Ramkumar is an Indian fashion designer with a unique perspective shaped by her experience as a third-culture child having been born and brought up in different places. While earning her masters in design at FIT, where she refined her aesthetics by focusing on women's streetwear. Her work bridges traditional Indian craftsmanship with contemporary streetwear, often repurposing luxurious sarees into innovative designs. As the first woman in her family to study abroad, she is driven to empower Indian artisans, especially women, through fair and respectful production practices.
Heartstring
Peichen Zhou
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
As a creative fashion designer, I create original work combining art and human body science. Inspired by medicine, realism, and the human structure, my designs respect life. Combining artistic abstraction with a solid basis in pragmatic, helpful applications, I often use non-fabric materials in my creative process to create visually striking designs that push fashion boundaries and welcome invention. I also work using three-dimensional printing technologies. I studied fashion design at the Rhode Island School of Design for my BFA and the Fashion Institute of Technology for my MFA.
Emergence
Jackie Schmidt
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Jackie Schmidt is a found materials fashion and accessory designer from Los Angeles, California. She received her Bachelors from the Art Institute of Chicago and Master of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology focusing on creating sustainable garments from found objects and upcycled materials including aluminum cans and soda tabs. She then transforms the materials into wearable art pieces, filled with lots of colors and fun textures that will make heads turn when entering a room.
Echoes of Innocence
Luna Eunsol Kang
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Luna Eunsol Kang is a fashion designer born in South Korea. With a multicultural background between South Korea and the United States, she uniquely blends influences from Asia and America. She was a 2023 finalist in the Arts Thread Global Design Graduate Competition and received honors from CFDA Runway360. Eunsol is highly skilled in craftsmanship, specializing in pattern making, sewing, beading, and fashion illustration. Her expertise spans from ready-to-wear to avant-garde haute couture, where she integrates her distinct design philosophy into every creation.
Destiny Lock
Evelina Epp
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Evelina Epp is a German designer who spent her childhood moving frequently, attending eight different schools across three continents. This constant change fostered a deep appreciation for connections and relationships, which now serve as key inspirations in her work. She reflects her personal journey of distant relationships through shapes that encapsulate or create physical distance from the body, blending emotional depth with thoughtful garment construction. Her focus on silhouettes, textile exploration, and draping achieve a perfect balance between structural design and emotional expression.
Celestial Reverie
Jinling Li
- 2025
- Fashion Design (School of Graduate Studies)
- Image
- Video
- Fashion shows
- Fashion photographs
- Masters theses
Jinling Li is a Chinese fashion designer who earned a Fashion Design MFA at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her work integrates futurism with a utilitarian edge. Jinling's designs focus on precise construction and material innovation, transforming rigid three-dimensional structures into wearable forms. She navigates the space between ready-to-wear and avant-garde designs, balancing functionality with bold, structured silhouettes.