Art hangs on walls and sits on labeled display shelves, from ceramic clothing to digital renderings to digital photographs. The Euphrat Museum of Art opened its doors for a student showcase this month. Close to 75 students contributed to the exhibition.

The museum held a reception at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, where featured artists gathered to receive awards and celebrate their work on display. Visitors crowded inside the museum, sampling the catered refreshments and admiring the art.

Museum curator Diana Argabrite opened the event with a speech introducing the new exhibit.

“I am so proud and so pleased with this year’s student art show,” Argabrite said. “There’s so much beautiful work.”

Acting President Christina Espinoza-Pieb and creative arts division Interim Dean Kristin Skager announced awards for works in ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, painting, photography and drawing.

Espinoza-Pieb also addressed all participating student artists.

“I don’t know if you came to De Anza and you were already a known artist, or maybe you came to De Anza and (it) inspired you to become an artist,” Espinoza-Pieb said. “I want to thank you for letting De Anza be a part of it, and for sharing your talents with us.”

Espinoza-Pieb and Skager then presented select artists with awards for each medium, in addition to a $250 prize from the Creative Arts Division.

The ceremony also featured film and TV animation major Moeka Ishikawa, who sang “King” by Years & Years. She was accompanied by guitarist Eric Jarmie, who also played live music as visitors moved around the exhibit to see the art.

“It’s a wonderful exhibit, and I’m so pleased that we were back to almost pre-pandemic numbers of students participating,” Argabrite said. “It really shows the amazing visions and talents of De Anza students.”

Andrea Loera, 21, graphic design major, created her triptych, a three-panel art piece, “Where Does My Past Lead To” using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

“I wanted to create a story basically representing parts about the past that have affected me, and stuff in the present that centers and grounds me, which is art,” Loera said.

The triptych consists of three digitally created images picturing Loera enjoying the outdoors, connecting with other people and designing clothing.

“It all just really helps me calm down,” Loera said. “Whatever’s in the tunnel that you see (in the triptych) represents things that are bad, but nature is still grounding for everyone.”

Ayla Khoshaba, 26, De Anza student, aimed to express femininity through her works “Something Gone Wrong With Grandma’s Bathroom Art” and “Ugly To You.”

“Grandma’s bathroom is a very feminine space,” said Khoshaba. “You see these boring paintings that just blend into the background. “I thrifted (this painting) and all these flowers that you see, I just painted on top of it. You can tell where the paint marks end, where it looks crisper.”

“Ugly To You” is a depiction of unconventional beauty.

“A lot of people thought she was ugly, but I thought she was cute while I was making it,” Khoshaba said. “Why is your standard of beauty so limiting?”

Frank Yung-Fong Tang, 57, art history major, won the award in drawing for “Self-Portrait.”

“I wanted to paint more close-up and from an angle,” Tang said. “It’s more intimate, like with my family. They’re close to me, and like my daughter, looking up to me.”

Tang drew attention to the likeness between himself and “Self-Portrait.”

“I’m wearing the same jacket that’s up there,” Tang said.

Tang’s introduction to art was an art history course at De Anza, after which he started taking more skill-based art classes.

Fernanda Loreto, 19, graphic design major, won the mixed media award with “Mi Ranchito.” The piece depicts a white house with a dirt yard and a clothesline.

“I was making this piece for my class in three-dimensional design, which was part of my general education for graphic design,” Loreto said. “This was actually the first time I’ve ever done a three-dimensional piece.”

Loreto took inspiration from her cultural background while creating “Mi Ranchero.”

“It’s pretty much my great-grandmother’s house. It’s the typical traditional house you’ll see in Mexico, with the sink on the side and the Zote soap,” Loreto said.

The exhibit will continue to run through June 6.