Exhibition
Location
Olive Tjaden Gallery
Tjaden Hall
M–F, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Contact
Department of Art
(607) 255-6730
Abstract
In Unfamiliar Waters is a solo exhibition comprising a series of drawings, prints, and paintings that are rooted in the psychology of image-making — i.e., how visual media can distort, conceal, or amplify truth and challenge the viewer to confront the dissonance between what is seen and what is known. The exhibition is anchored in the belief that images are powerful tools for storytelling, particularly for those whose voices are often overlooked or misrepresented. Each piece in the series explores themes of memory, trauma, identity, and/or invisibility, drawing from both personal narratives and broader cultural references, and unpacks how visual representation can both liberate and control through layered visual languages such as figurative distortion, collage, and symbolic iconography. By foregrounding the image as both a mirror and a myth-maker, In Unfamiliar Waters is an exhibition that proposes that to see truly, one must learn to look differently.
Biography
NEBA.
NEBA. (B.F.A. ’26) is a Cameroonian artist currently based in the USA. His practice is driven by a strong interest in probing the malleability of the human psyche and the role of imagery in shaping our understanding of the multiple realities we inhabit. His work operates as an invitation to engage with underrepresented perspectives and to reflect on how narratives are constructed by reconsidering the reliability of what we see.
