MFA Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition: Compounding Interest
April 18 - May 2, 2026
School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Compounding Interest,” an exhibition of works by 38 graduating MFA Fine Arts students, curated by Helen Toomer and organized by Isabelle Schipper. The exhibition will be on view Saturday, April 19, through Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York City.
“Compounding Interest” explores how ideas, materials, and experiences accumulate through repetition and experimentation, reflecting the emotional threshold of graduating in turbulent times. The works on view are shaped by personal, societal, and geographical influences, revealing how individual perspectives are informed by broader collective conditions. Through processes of layering, revision, and sustained inquiry, small gestures evolve into complex visual statements that question authorship, responsibility, and belonging. Together, the exhibition invites reflection on the tension between the individual “I” and the collective “we,” considering how these artists negotiate identity, community, and agency at a moment of profound transition.
Featuring work by Andrew Basinski, Yaya Brown, Wylie Burrell, Sheila Carr, Lindaluz Carrillo, Sunghoon Chung, Lucia Gallipoli, William Gary, Yannie Yiyang Gu, Yujin Hur, Melkorka Katrin, Mina Kim, Yoorim Ko, Menghan Li, Yasmin Lindemann, Sophia Xinran Liu, Yi Liu, Xinzi Luo, Alex Muzhen Lyu, Xiaolu Ma, Zengyuan Ma, Will Maddoxx, Yena Seo-Yeon Park, Andrew Patterson, Evan Peltzman, Wynter Rhoads, Ashlesha Sathe, Qin Shen, Claudia Shi, Vicky Yiwen Sun, I Chin Sung, Wendy Wei, Amani Williams, Karina Luyi Ye, Alexandra Yuan, Yue Yuan, Shu Zhang, and Dawei Zhao.