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These Essays Got Her into Top Art Schools like New School and Rhode Island

The following essays were written by an applicant who was admitted to top Arts and Design schools like Rhode Island School of Design, New School–Parsons School of Design, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. These essays are intended to provide examples of successful personal statements for applicants aspiring to get into the top Arts schools in the world. 

Essay 1

Art rescued me from an abusive marriage in an oppressive society where human life is dispensable. It gave me the courage to stand up for myself and talk about uncomfortable things in our society. Born and raised in a conservative family, my father had conformist female values like; girls don’t answer doorbells and playing in public parks. So, while growing up, I wasn’t allowed to explore the outside world. The only thing that interested me indoors was the art section of weekly magazines. It was my first window to art.

My mother was always fond of making handcrafts like wooden crafts, flower making, and embroidery. As a curious child, I learned these techniques from her. Unfortunately, following a path dictated by my father, I completed high school in science instead of arts. Nevertheless, thanks to the Internet, I became aware of how vital it is to pursue my passion and then decided to apply to an Arts school. With only four months to prepare for the competitive entry test, my mother and I found a drawing studio where I religiously practiced 18 hours a day for the next four months.

Against all the odds, I went to the top art school in the country and graduated with honors on a scholarship. My thesis got a distinction and the Principal’s Honors award. Dr. Virginia Whiles, a UK-based Art Historian, saw my thesis and was awestruck. She remarked, “I hadn’t seen anything like this before,” and purchased my work for her collection. Later, she sent me an email from the UK informing me that she had quoted my work in an international art magazine (Art Monthly UK). This small but meaningful event consolidated my belief that art could transcend cultural boundaries.

As a child at home, I witnessed gender inequality. This created a perception that women are not welcome in a conservative household. In grade 6, I complained to my father, “I know you are not fond of daughters, but your behavior is hurting me.” He was astonished. I guess he was not expecting this from a naive 11-year-old. But something changed after that day. My father started to redress.

Eighteen years later, I still explore social, personal, and political discomforts. However, this time through my art, I translate what I see and experience into my own “language,” primarily sculptures. My father talks with pride about me being a first-generation college graduate and a financially independent woman. He also boasts about my work exhibited in London and the sculptures I created as a studio assistant to Benedict Cumberbatch, an Oscars Prize nominee. I guess generations-old taboos could be challenged. However, one needs the courage to be articulate, and I found myself most articulated through art.

I have always embedded social and cultural factors in my artwork. Whether they were community-based women empowerment projects with CED and CDC or my studio practice as a sculptor. Where my peers opted for jobs at fashion houses, I instead chose community-based projects. These projects allowed me to travel worldwide and offered me the experience of interacting with women in remote areas, discovering their untapped potential, and listening to their fascinating stories.

Moreover, teaching helped me boost my confidence and polish my Art Practice. It also taught me multitasking and teamwork. I realized social engagement through arts is rewarding, so I began teaching at a local art school. This experience taught me how therapeutic it is to share an artistic space with students. However, I need further education, an MFA precisely to teach at the university, alongside my studio practice.

Working in various locations has been challenging. Currently, I have a small studio set up at my home. I am proud of this studio as my work speaks to many viewers worldwide. Working with limited resources is hard, but I am trying.

The last five years of abusive marriage and divorce were tragic for me, and the most freedom I got to express myself was through art. It gave me the courage to face the world, pay collective homage to women’s struggles, and encourage them to break the silence and realize their potential. Therefore, I seek an artistic community where I can refine my practice in a true essence while defying social norms and taboos. An MFA will allow me to explore societal norms and female roles.

Essay 2

I aim to pursue an MFA in studio practice focusing on sculpture. With this degree, I want to address socio-political and gender issues in an artistically mature environment. My art practice would not merely be an object of aesthetic admiration but to pique society to question the socio-political and feminine landscape. Lately, our world has been polarized, and through art practice, I would encourage social dialogue that will help open people’s mindsets. I would use MFA to explore how these ideas could be further explored and presented in dynamic cultural spaces.

My first degree in Textile Design helped me play around with different “techniques and materials,” which eventually played a crucial role in my work. “Textiles” as a major and “sculpture textiles” as an elective were a perfect merger of contemporary and unusual mediums. I realized that medium and material are among artists’ most robust tools. Gradually my work started to get experimental, and I enjoyed breaking down the barriers between art and textiles. My artistic queries have been based on social issues, and I was keen to explore them in my thesis and present my concerns to the public. It reflected what it meant to live in a polarized world, where human life is dispensable. I was interested in exploring how a violent, suppressed, and radical society affects individuals. The resulting sculptures had an ethereal quality, receiving a positive critique from Dr. Virginia Whiles, which encouraged me to keep developing my art practice in sculpture despite my undergraduate in Textiles. Since then, I have been exhibiting my work nationally and internationally.

After my graduation, alongside exhibitions, I did community-based projects with NGOs. These projects were closer to my heart (due to my personal experiences) because they were for women’s empowerment and gender equality. In addition, they discovered my passion for teaching. I joined a local school. I doubled student enrolment in secondary school and started Art and Design at the high school level. Today, many of my students are studying at some prestigious art schools. Alongside teaching, I continued my art practice and worked as a studio assistant for Benedict Cumberbatch, an Oscars Prize nominee. The work I produced for her got exhibited in India, Dubai, and London, making me realize that sculpture had an international appreciation. My career took a personal turn. The diluted, abstract forms started appearing in my work, reflecting my trauma experiences in an abusive marriage. I absorb and translate what I see and experience within my environment into my “own language” using sculptures. My collages are encased in resin, creating a three-dimensional landscape frozen in time. The sculptures spoke in metaphors that are based upon human reaction and response. I transformed materials to make them appear as if they had been found like shards or celestial bodies, giving them an air of mystery, like relics of the future and unfortunate events of the past. Hear stitches, gauze, bandages, transparency, text, and fragments symbolize loss, pain, and suffering.

While pursuing an MFA in sculpture, I want to specifically take electives in the role of gender and feminism in art and study these subjects, where these debates are perceived with openness. Moreover, the faculty are practicing artists themselves. Therefore, each student’s critique from the practicing faculty is unique and sets apart MFA programs.

During my undergrad, I studied with diverse cohorts that shaped my perspective as an artist. I met fantastic people from different areas and oppressed communities who inspired my thinking. One of the factors I genuinely admire about MFA is its diverse cohorts and inclusive community. For an artist living in the present world, such an inclusive environment would broaden my art practice. Furthermore, the discourse with various cohorts in art critique and feedback would refine my work and equip me with better communication skills.

Despite such productive work experience, I find it challenging to navigate my art practice due to geographical and cultural factors. Therefore, I recognize the need for an advanced degree in studio practice if I seek to effectively achieve my future goals. The most vital lesson I have learned in recent years as an artist is to express uncomfortable situations like grief, abuse of power, and catastrophe through my work, no matter how small my voice is. An MFA from a reputable university would equip me to grow personally and professionally.



This post first appeared on BrightLink Prep Lahore, Pakistan | Elite Test Prep, please read the originial post: here

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These Essays Got Her into Top Art Schools like New School and Rhode Island

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