Friday, April 17th | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
This exhibition brings together a range of creative projects from the class of 2026 graduating students. From disappearing Chinatowns and chronic illness to game mechanics rooted in Taoist cosmology and scenario-based civic learning, the works in this exhibition do not simply represent the world. Instead, they invite audiences to participate in constructing it.
Several projects examine identity through absence and visibility. Annie Tong’s photography traces Chinese American community life in St. Louis after the loss of its Chinatown, while Dong Ding’s collaborative photo series offers a nuanced portrait of young women living with hyperthyroidism in China. Bella Lamb’s ceramic restoration practice asks how objects acquire value through mediation, and Shutong Zhang’s digital comic builds a floating city where architecture and color become instruments of political control.
Other works turn to interactivity as a form of inquiry. Changchen (Mike) Guo’s audiovisual installation transforms live sound into evolving particle environments, making the audience co-creators of spatial experience. Dantong Zhu’s choice-based video explores how small decisions shape emotional trajectories, while Qirui Zhao’s interactive narrative novel critiques China’s exam-driven education system. Rabin Mahatara’s scenario-based website invites Nepali youth to practice civic and ethical decision-making through everyday dilemmas.
Philosophical frameworks also drive the exhibition. Shiyu Yu’s open-world puzzle game embeds Taoist principles into core mechanics, and Yixin Yue’s interactive website critically examines historical maps of Changzhou to reveal how cartography shapes urban narratives. Together, these works affirm that creative media, whether photography, restoration, video games, or interactive narrative, offer boundless possibilities for intellectually rigorous, socially engaged, and emotionally resonant Signature Work projects. We hope this exhibition inspires other students as they consider what to start with for their own Signature Work.
Authors: Annie Tong, Changchen (Mike) Guo, Dong Ding, Bella Lamb, Dantong Zhu, Shutong Zhang, Qirui Zhao, Rabin Mahatara, Shiyu Yu, Yixin Yue, Yu,Junyi
Signature Work Faculty Mentor: Keping Wu, Kaley Clements, Cici Cheng, Giovanni Santini, Jung Choi, Seth Henderson, Benjamin Bacon, Stephanie R Anderson, Vivian Xu, Choi,Jung
