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.
Christie Tirado is an interdisciplinary artist and educator and an MFA candidate in printmaking, books, and paper. Her work includes relief prints, handmade paper works, and large-scale installations that explore migration, memory, and how traditions are passed through everyday gestures such as cooking, cultivating, and working with one’s hands.
“My MFA thesis exhibition transforms printed imagery into immersive laser-cut paper environments, expanding intimate family stories into a shared space,” Tirado says. “Through repetition, layering, and pattern, I investigate how culture endures across generations and how the body can hold history.”
Tirado’s MFA thesis exhibition, “Cosechando Historias,” is on view at the Latino Arts Gallery (1028 S. 9th St., Milwaukee) from March 6 to June 5. An opening reception will take place on Friday, March 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.
We asked Tirado to share more about her work: