EAU CLAIRE — The Foster Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is pleased to announce the opening of “Figure it Out,” the bachelor of fine arts (BFA) senior exhibition. It features artwork by four BFA candidates: Morgan Bachim, Connor Schiebsted, Mayly Vang and Joshua Yang. The exhibition will be on view from Nov. 30-Dec. 18, with a closing reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Dec. 16. All Foster Gallery exhibitions and events are free and open to the public.

Morgan Bachim is an illustration BFA candidate from Monroe and will exhibit a series of digital paintings along with one oil painting of female goddesses. Of her work in the gallery, Bachim says, “I created this series to shine light on women, as we are often underappreciated and less acknowledged. These paintings shown here are to give homage to the beautiful women around the world so that their stories and cultures can be heard. The goddesses that I chose to represent for this exhibition are West African, Chinese, Greek, Polynesian and Sioux Native American.”

Connor Schiebsted is an illustration BFA candidate from Stewartville, Minnesota. Connor will exhibit “Space Cadets,” a series of key art pieces produced to conceptualize his own late-night/Saturday-morning cartoon. You’ll see visual gags and cartoon violence caught in a freeze-frame of bright colors and exaggerated forms. When asked about his influences, Schiebsted says, “Cartoons. Cartoons. Cartoons. My college career has been all about making cartoons. I am inspired by those who can get an animated series off the ground, and more so, those who keep it running for years.”

Mayly Vang is a painting BFA candidate from Eau Claire. She will exhibit a series of paintings that explore her interest in the human body, its nakedness and the beauty she finds in what is normally defined as gross or embarrassing. Mayly says, “I would describe my art as something that would make you stare at it for a long time. Something that makes you feel uncomfortable, yet there is something beautiful within my work that creeps up on you.”

Joshua Yang is an illustration BFA candidate from Milwaukee who will present a series of six digital works. Yang says, “I’m influenced by surrealism and contemporary art, but I’m heavily inspired by pop culture and take a liking to graphic novels, animes and fictional stories. I am also a curious explorer; I enjoy thinking and asking myself questions about certain things I happen to come across. My work individually presents their own fictional narrative in their own universe, but I keep the story vague as it’s up to the viewers to create their own story through their own imagination.”