Category Archives: News

Nicole Weyant BFA Exhibition “Raw” October 5th to the 8th, 2021 SJSU Theta Belcher Gallery

Mental health and mental illnesses are topics that our current society tends to push
aside or sugar coat. My work represents my personal inner struggles as someone who
struggles with mental issues through the use of digital photography to document and re-
enact the emotions I have felt and some of the key moments that have been a recurring
issue with my mental illnesses. These images show the some of the raw emotions I
have personally felt and dealt with when going through my own breakdowns and I’m
using them to help create awareness to the spectrum of mental health. These emotions
are here to help show that not everyone struggles in the same way and that some
people react differently and are affected differently by their mental issues. With this work
I want to show people that mental health is a topic that shouldn’t always be sugar
coated because it can cause people to see it as a less serious issue or brush it off as an
easy fix, but in reality that’s not true. These images are examples of my own personal
issues and are helping me on my path of recovery. These may not be the same for
everyone, and it is important to know that mental illnesses can present in different ways
and is not the same from person to person.
I have struggled with mental issues for a good part of my life and I firmly believe that if it
was less of a taboo topic I would have gotten the help I needed when I first brought it up
to my family. This show is helping me to open up about my own issues in hopes of
encouraging other people to do the same. I want to showcase physical representations
of what it is like in the minds of people who struggle with mental illnesses. This, in turn,
can help others empathize with people who have mental health issues and offer them
the support they need to heal. I use photography as my medium because I am able to
create and re-tell my experiences to my audience through the re-enactment of emotions
I have felt previously. Photography has become an outlet for me and has helped me
through the process of overcoming my own mental illnesses.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Yvonne Bellido BFA Exhibition “WILL YOU REMEMBER?” October 4th to the 8th, 2021 SJSU Hernandez Gallery

Photography is an exploration for me and a method to be able to connect with the past. I have always loved old things and feelings of nostalgia. During the past year, I lost my grandmother and couldn’t say goodbye because of the pandemic. Since then, I have been making my peace and closure with it, which led me to find old photographs of her and my family. I spent extended periods piecing together specific photographs for this series. Looking back on these old images and memories, it feels like unlocking different parts of who they were. With my grandma, she was a mother, but at the same time, she was a sister, friend, and daughter. I wasn’t able to see these other sides of her or ask her questions about it. Film photography has an emotional connection to me and is intertwining within my life. I catch glimpses of who the people I love, and this allows me to preserve their memories.

Andy Tran BFA exhibition “Dream” September 27th to October 1st, 2021 in Gallery 5

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DREAM

Andy Tran

I seek the sky to represent the dream hidden in the clouds and the moon. The sky is comprised of numerous elements that could portray different types of dreams. People see the sky – whether calm or wild – and interpret many things depending on the nature of clouds, moon size, or light. The sky has a way of influencing dreams such that, some will say things like, “the sky is calm today” or “the sky is dull today” which is an indication of how people have different dreams in this life. The dream is to live a happy life that could be influenced by the nature such as the calmness of the sky or the emotions depicted by the size and shape of the mood.
  A combination of clouds and a moon in a day or night can take away an individual to a dreamland. I like taking photographs of the clouds and the sky as they help present nature and the natural aspects of life. My mission as a photographer is to represent nature as it appears in the sky to the world through my pictures. I aim to influence the world by portraying the sky with clouds and the moon which would help people to see beyond the simple illustration of what they see but visualize their dreams. Taking pictures of the clouds and the sky on a day or night is a science that can influence dreams in many ways. My photography will be an adaptation of what we expect from the clouds and the sky in human lives and help in visualizing our dreams.

Zack Lam BFA show “COVID-19 LIFESTYLE OVERTURN” September 27th to October 1st, 2021 in Black Gallery

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COVID-19 LIFESTYLE OVERTURN 
ZACK LAM

My proposed final project idea is to create a photography series that 
focuses on self-care and self-love. Many of us were quarantined or self-isolated during the global pandemic (COVID-19), attempting to be cautious and avoid the virus at all costs. For some, quarantine has extended not just a few days, but months at a time. Because there was no vaccine available at the time, many of us were forced to deal with the situation, despite the fact that the vast majority of people lacked the ability to adjust to quarantine and the abrupt constraints that come with it. Work, school, job, business, training/workout, and spending time with friends occupy the majority of our time as humans. Due to the long hour spent alone, time appeared to stop after the announcement of social distancing and
quarantine rules was made. As a result, vacations and all scheduled events had to be canceled. Human survival is predicated on daily activities, which are today restricted, limiting the capabilities of many people. The pandemic has taken a toll on many people, whether they stopped going to the gym, hanging out with friends, lost a stable income, a business partner, or a motivator.

Mental disorders have been on the rise as a result of the tremendous 
amount of stress brought on by the pandemic, as well as the inactivity that many people are not used to. I was a victim of this until I learned about self-love and reconsidered the value of my mental health. As a result, I’d like to use photography to capture a series of Self-Care/Self-Love to remind others that taking care of ourselves and putting our health first is still very important. The series will consist of seven photographs depicting what my friends and I have been up to while in quarantine.