The Architecture, Design, and Art Library is now accepting student exhibition proposals for the 2023-2024 season. Open call due date is September 23, 2023.  See website for more details

The Architecture, Design, and Art Library proudly presents the work of featured artist ‘22-23 Brandon Stelly. His exhibit, The Road to Recovery, will be on view until July 2023. 

Statement

My work focuses on how the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana experienced major destruction caused by Hurricane Laura in 2020, and how they are on the verge of recovery. 

Eight months after the massive destruction of Hurricane Laura, I went to Lake Charles, Louisiana to take photographic images of damaged areas, as well as the progress of recovery. Lake Charles experienced a city-wide disaster during the storm. Multiple trees and natural surroundings were destroyed. Parking garages, houses, and buildings were mostly blown away. The Boardwalk at Memorial Park had major damage. Homes had broken doors and windows, along with blown away rooftops. Most of the patios at the pier were covered in water. Roads are still in need of repair, and much more needs to be done. 

During my visit, I noticed that workers are rebuilding. People are continuing their normal activities, sitting at restaurants, going to work, visiting the pier, and so on. They are working towards bringing things back to normal. This is why I called this exhibit the “The Road to Recovery.”  

I am relieved that there are no human casualties from the massive storm. Everyone is willing to continue their daily lives while workers are focusing on rebuilding the damaged areas. It’ll take years until everything is back to normal. We must do whatever we can to prepare for another hurricane disaster. 

Bio

Brandon Stelly (born 1996, Lafayette, LA) is currently a Houston based- artist wanting to experience the full outcome of being in the outside world and portray his use of photography/videography as an achievement in the upcoming future.  Brandon is currently a student at the University of Houston, in his senior year of the School of Art’s Photography and Digital Media Program. He discovered photography at a young age, when his parents introduced him to his first Nikon camera. Now he hopes to become a professional photographer and inspire future generations. 

The Architecture, Design, and Art Library proudly presents the work of featured artist ‘22-23 Javier Rivera. His exhibit, Street Corners, will be on view until March 2023. 

Statement 
My work expresses the documentation of events and the question of how they can be presented. I am able to express this by telling a story or creating a metaphor. It is characterized by using everyday objects and situations in an atmosphere of class difference, in which recognition plays an important role. It is through recognition that I can portray my community and speak to a broader audience. With this, I seek to investigate the representations of cultures and situations as well as depictions and ideas. 

Bio
Javier Rivera is a Houston based artist who takes inspiration from subcultures, background, and landscapes. His paintings and artworks demonstrate how life extends beyond its own subjective limits, and often tells a story about cultural interactions. Rivera is currently a student at the University of Houston, in his final year of the School of Art’s Painting Program.  

The Architecture, Design, and Art Library proudly presents the work of featured artist ‘22-23 Kassidi Yosko. Her exhibit, KASSIFYS Hyperrealism, will be on view until December 2022. 

Statement 
Drawing saved my life multiple times throughout my life. The journey started when I was a little girl and needed to escape from the negativity of the world. You get lost in drawing; it unintentionally became a form of meditation. Every stroke, every detail, my soul goes into every piece. Each time I improve it’s because I went through something and poured those emotions on the paper. These moments’ drive me to do more. To work longer. The long hours and long months I spend using the pencil on one piece… can’t live without that experience. Hopefully the world can see through my work how passionate I am and just how much I love drawing.

Bio
Kassidi Yosko, otherwise known as KASSIFY. 23 years old born and raised in Houston, TX. Been attending UH for 6 years now and in my last year of architecture school. I lost my older brother at the beginning of my college career, then a close friend in the middle, and then my mother a year ago. So outside of architecture I go through so much and art is my ability to get away from all of it. I plan to aim for NYC after graduation for my career in architecture but also so my art can be seen and appreciated on higher levels.

The Architecture, Design, and Art Library is now accepting student exhibition proposals for the 2022-2023 season. Open call due date is September 30, 2022.  See website for more details