Throughout the semester, we’re shining a light on the Art Department’s graduating MFA candidates as they present their final thesis exhibitions. These exhibitions are the culmination of years of dedicated study and artistic exploration, showcasing our students’ diverse talents and innovative approaches to art-making.

Mark Almanza is an interdisciplinary artist who works across a variety of mediums to explore their Chicano identity. “I create work that helps define my experiences and the questions I face as a Chicano person living under a system that has historically outcasted people like me,” they say. “Whether that’s through photography, video, book arts, or weaving, each medium aids in exploring what my identity means to me.”

Almanza’s final thesis exhibition, “Don’t Everybody Like The Smell Of Gasoline?” will be on view in UW–Madison’s Art Lofts Gallery (111 N. Frances St.) from April 21–26. A reception, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Friday, April 24, from 5 to 8 p.m.

We asked Almanza to share some insights into their work: