COLUMBUS, OH, FEBRUARY 9, 2026 – Waiting for the Light to Change features bodies of work shaped by curiosity, reflection, and critical engagement with the world around us. This Master of Fine Arts (MFA) thesis exhibition showcases nine graduating artists from The Ohio State University Department of Art. Waiting for the Light to Change will be on view at Urban Arts Space from February 17–March 21, with a public reception on Saturday, February 21, from 5–7 PM.

This exhibition marks the culmination of a rigorous three-year interdisciplinary journey, shaped through intensive studio work and close mentorship with art faculty. The work challenges the idea of the solitary artist, instead highlighting artmaking as a collaborative, research-driven process that connects the studio to the broader world. Across distinct practices, the artists confront historical forces and contemporary realities while making space for personal inquiry, material experimentation, and critical dialogue. The artists engage with themes of queer theory, mixed-race studies, and diasporic experiences, alongside inquiries into Eastern philosophy, psychology, and the impact of the COVID-19 and AIDS pandemics. 

This MFA cohort employs an expansive range of mediums, including interactive kinetic sculpture, ceramics, painting, comics, photography, video, and poetry. “Each body of work in Waiting for the Light to Change signals and invites you—to be challenged, to closely observe, listen, and ask questions,” says Gina Osterloh, Associate Professor of Art at Ohio State.

Much of the work emerged through active dialogue with practicing artist-faculty and the department’s technical staff, utilizing specialized facilities to bring complex visions to life. Through dynamic methodologies such as imaging breath, weaving hair, and pressing limbs into clay, the works demonstrate how the studio is deeply intertwined with the world—past, present, and future. 

Participating Artists: Banerjee, Shaheen Beardsley, Maria Conlon, Onni Estabrook, Samuel Lo, Takahiro Okubo, Shruti Shankar, Sam Wrigglesworth, and Xuan