Stephanie Syjuco's mural, Present Tense (Roll Call), measures 63 by 30 feet and aims to prompt discussion about UC Berkeley's student activism amid ongoing attacks on ethnic studies and diversity programs. The mural's design features predominantly black-and-white elements with bright accents, emulating a bulletin board. Syjuco's background includes a focus on political issues such as imperialism and colonization, and her work has been showcased in prestigious museums. This piece marks her first major commission at BAMPFA, continuing her exploration of historical narratives through visual art.
Titled Present Tense (Roll Call), the 63-by-30-foot mural was developed in under a year and is intended to spark conversations about UC Berkeley's history of student activism and what it means to live in a tense time where ethnic studies and diversity programs are increasingly under attack.
The mostly black-and-white piece, accented with highlighter yellow and somewhat reminiscent of a campus bulletin board, is UC Berkeley art professor Stephanie Syjuco's first major commission for the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Syjuco has in more recent years established a track record of examining urgent, complex political issues including colonization and imperialism by sifting through archival records.
Her work has also been exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, SFMOMA, de Young Museum and Walker Art Center, among others.
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