Many aspects of student life and learning changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamilton students are fortunate to have the option to live on campus, attend in-person classes and have a semi-normal life on campus. However, nothing could stay completely untouched by COVID-19. More specifically, art majors have had a tough time adjusting to the new COVID-19 restrictions because their work involves attending class in person. The restrictions make it difficult for art students to be in art rooms at the same time as other students. As a result, careful planning and coordination must be done before students can enter art classrooms and work on their projects. Senior art majors have particularly been affected by COVID-19 restrictions in regards to their art thesis projects. In an interview with

The Spectator,

Safa Ahmed ’21, an art major, described her art, her experience with the pandemic and how they have influenced each other.

Ahmed is currently working on her senior thesis, a series of three — but potentially five — paintings that feature “moments to ourselves” that all people experience. The largest one features a woman holding herself in a blanket in a position that signifies vulnerability as well as strength; the bold colors convey that her strength is comforting herself. The second painting is based on one of Ahmed’s suitemates at Hamilton and depicts her applying a face mask in the bathroom. This is an intimate moment many people can relate to as a common form of self-care. The woman is wearing a brightly colored printed shirt, a common theme in Ahmed’s style. The print shows how bold Ahmed can be as an unconventional female artist. Lastly, the third painting is of a woman in the shower. The woman’s body, along with the background, is painted in a similar pattern of repeating shapes and curvilinear lines. This similarity in background and form conveys how, in quarantine, people and their settings often morphed into one.

Overall, the thesis project is inspired by moments of Ahmed’s quarantine that others can easily relate to as well. She wanted to show bold feminism, not only in her subject matter but in her style and use of color. She described the feelings often coming through in her work. After a period of isolation in the first semester due to being a close contact, Ahmed felt empowered to be bold in her work and embed her own experience in it, which is primarily conveyed through intense color choice. Her challenges with isolation constrained her ability to work on her thesis last semester, and Ahmed spoke on behalf of other students who have been affected by the pandemic. She acknowledged students who are not living on campus and do not have access to resources such as studios, materials and in-person meetings with thesis advisors.

Regardless of these challenges, Ahmed relayed a sense of accomplishment and hope for the senior class art majors, since their work will be exhibited in the Wellin Museum. The class of 2020 was not able to have this experience, which Ahmed described as one she has been looking forward to for a while. She is especially excited to have her work formally displayed in a gallery because it is such a rare opportunity. The exhibition will likely be limited to people within Hamilton College’s testing program, but students are still excited to show their artwork to their peers. More information on the final exhibition of senior thesis art projects will be available at a later date.