At any moment, anywhere in the world, a viewer will stare, rapt in contemplation, at a piece – but only in the Korn Gallery will the art be daring enough to stare back. Its inaugural exhibition of the semester, “Suspicion: Recent Works by Shayna Miller,” invites visitors to soak in the dimensional tension of artist Shayna Miller’s (C’19) expansive oil paintings.
Miller conjures this dynamic into physical reality, anthropomorphizing oil and burlap via angular protrusions that seem mere seconds from bursting the unspoken bubble between art and audience.
In an interview conducted by Acorn staff writer Skylar Anderson (‘27), Miller elaborated on her practice.
“I’m wary of flatness, so part of [the work] is a reaction to paintings generally being flat, their history and what I understand about making paintings today.” Miller continues by saying, “The painting is suspicious of itself … of us … it’s coming out of the surface … probing and questioning its shape …”
“Could the painting have agency?”
The question echoes throughout not only the gallery space but in Miller’s other work as well. Having graduated from Drew in 2019 with a double major in art and art history, the pursuit of both creating and contemplating the taut duality originated during her time as a student here.
It might come as a surprise then that initially, Miller had no plans to pursue a career as an artist.
“When I came to Drew, I initially wasn’t even going to study art. I don’t think I would be here making work today, without the path I had at Drew.”
“The New York Semester on Contemporary Art was so important to me. I got to see artists who had studios … see that it was possible to have a practice … also, all our faculty are working artists – some come in from the city – so having all these examples around me was really important.”
Miller went on to emphasize: “[Drew] made it feel possible.”
Perhaps an otherwise underrated aspect of Drew’s academic tapestry, Miller gave the art department well-deserved accolades. The program is built on propelling its students into successful, sustainable careers in the arts; Miller is a shining example of what the academic structure and staff of Drew’s art department achieve.
“It’s a special moment to come full circle and be back at Drew … have this opportunity to work with Kim Rhodes to choose works, experiment with how my works are installed. Something I’m thinking about a lot right now is… the height at which work is installed and their relation to the viewer. So, getting to see Drew students engage with the work and move around the gallery and the work has been really exciting. It’s been really special to be back and have the community see what I’ve been working on because it feels so connected to the work that started at Drew.”
The aspiration of fully engaging in this exhibition now has another layer of dimensionality: the invisible thread documenting how Miller’s work has shifted, a journey that began right here on campus. Her experiences at Drew have, by her own admission, greatly affected her current work.
Take the opportunity, then, to absorb these works in all their postulated, abject glory. More importantly: let the work absorb you. That is, after all, what they were made to do, or were they?
Attendees can continue to experience “Suspicion: Recent Works by Shayna Miller” until Oct. 4. The Korn Gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday, 12-4 p.m., as well as by appointment. Questions about the exhibition or scheduling are received at korngallery@drew.edu.
Shayna Miller received her MFA in Studio Art from Hunter College, New York, in 2024 and her BA from Drew University in May 2019, where she majored in art and art history with minors in comparative religion and medieval studies. She was awarded the Stanley Prescott Hooper Memorial Prize in 2019 for promise and integrity in studio art. More of her work can be found at https://shaynamiller.com/.
Annabelle Smith is a junior double-majoring in studio art and media and communications, with a minor in creative arts and technology.
Skylar Anderson is a sophomore majoring in studio art.
