The Talking Back exhibition presents new original artworks from first-year Master of Fine Arts in Illustration and Visual Culture (MFA-IVC) students, created and curated in response to materials from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections. 

Each student’s project is drawn from a process of critical research and creative engagement with archival materials. Exploring themes of self-expression, nature, and the metaphysical, this exhibition provides new interpretations of archival materials and repurposes the collection to inspire new research. Through analysis and response, students developed an ideation process using library materials within their sketchbooks. From there, they selected the material and subjects they were interested in and created their own artworks inspired by these pieces. They then organized individual exhibitions that present these works alongside the collection items to illustrate the potential of archival research within creative practice.