Yale School of Art, NYU Abu Dhabi bridges cultures in new residency program

A new post-MFA residency program aims to expand global artistic perspective and creative practices across two distinct cultural landscapes.

Olivia Cyrus

25:45, 25 September 2024

Courtesy of Chinaedu Nwadibia

When Chinaedu Nwadibia ART ’22 left New Haven for Abu Dhabi, the first thing he noticed was the heat; conversely, as Majd Alloush NYUAD MFA ’23 made the trip from Abu Dhabi to New Haven, he immediately noticed its absence.

Nwadibia and Alloush have been selected to engage in the pilot program of the post-MFA residency exchange program between the Yale School of Art and NYU Abu Dhabi, also known as NYUAD. Under the program, a recent graduate from each institution spends an academic semester on the exchange university’s campus and is provided with accommodations such as studio space and housing to further explore their craft.

Yale previously announced a similar project in 2008, but it was later abandoned due to “irreconcilable differences” because reported the news that year.

Asked what happened over the past 16 years for the project to finally come to fruition, Anoka Faruqee ’94, associate dean and professor of painting and printmaking at the Yale School of Art, said she could not speak to the development of past programming . but describes the current opportunity as a unique outlet for cultural exchange.

The effort was revived following a trip Faruqee took to the United Arab Emirates with Kymberly Pinder GRD ’95, dean of the School of Art, and Nicole Freeman, director of development and alumni relations.

While there, Faruqee visited Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and toured the performing arts facilities at NYU Abu Dhabi. After returning to New Haven, she and her colleagues discussed launching a pilot exchange program for recent graduates.

“The art world that we expose our students to on a regular basis is sometimes limited by geography,” Faruqee said. “The School of Art has been interested in travel and residency opportunities that are outside of the European context.”

Once each respective program begins, artists have access to various shops, labs, lectures and programming, and are expected to present a project exhibition.

Nwadibia, one of the program’s first participants, is a Nigerian and African-American sculptor and photographer who is passionate about injecting elements of her past into her work to illuminate the rich histories of the African diaspora.

Arriving in Abu Dhabi just a few days ago, she enthusiastically embraced the change in culture, resources and weather.

“I am interested in immersing myself in the libraries and archives available to me at NYUAD, being open to the ways in which new discoveries invite themselves into my practice,” Nwadibia said. “On the contrary, I hope to leave a bit of the Nigerian/Black American here to be contemplated, respected and resonated with.”

Nwadibia said she is honored to have been selected for this venture and looks forward to future opportunities to share her experiences as the program’s legacy solidifies.

The other participant in the program, Alloush, is a typographer and photographer. He shared a similar sentiment about his selection for the program.

“I can’t really describe the feeling because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Alloush said. It is a very small world in the UAE and I have always been involved in every event that takes place around the idea of ​​printing and printing. It feels great to be able to teach and share my experience.”

Alloush began his career at NYUAD as a chemical engineering major, but quickly developed a passion for printmaking due to his background in chemical processes. He graduated in 2018 and after graduation worked at the American University of Sharjah as a laboratory specialist in art facilities management. However, he has always sought a career in academia and now works part-time as an adjunct instructor at the university.

He refers to his participation in the post-MFA program as “very experimental” and is eager to blend his abstract approach “backwards” with the distinct environment of New Haven.

“I don’t really follow the rules of typography,” Alloush said. “But sometimes I have to, so I draw inspiration from collaborating with my environment and documenting the space.”

Faruqee hopes that this opportunity will allow artists to be inspired and influenced by the artists, issues and ideas around them. She believes it is crucial for institutions like Yale to invest in internationalization efforts.

“This is the first time (Yale) has had a program, as far as I can remember, where someone has had studio space on campus that is not a student,” she said. “So the fact that (Alloush) is an international fellow is important because he brings other perspectives and points of view to expand our idea of ​​what art is and who the visible artists are.”

She believes that most people, including herself, would be more affected by the art if they saw the images directly, rather than via social media and the internet.

She believes that when art’s primary form of accomplishment is through mediated technology, it is much more disembodied.

“I realized that my frame of reference for artists can be quite narrow, so taking these trips and learning about other artists is very important to me as a teacher. And so we wanted to bring a smaller version of that experience for some recent graduates to continue that kind of work.”

Faruqee said he anticipates the post-MAF program will become a long-term collaboration. She hopes that the School of Art can provide a scholarship that expands the students’ frame of reference and knowledge.

The Yale School of Art was founded in 1869.