Tatiana Osburn: Senior Exhibition 2025

This is one in a series of online interviews with MIAD seniors, who share their thoughts about their 2025 Senior Exhibition project and their MIAD education.

Tatiana Osburn ’25 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), “Solace In My Pews Of Devotion.” Tatiana’s senior exhibition project received a 2025 Alumni Senior Thesis Award. She is from Milwaukee, Wis.

What is your “elevator pitch” for your senior exhibition project?

My practice focuses on the themes of grief and the often-inexplicable experience of loss, explored through drawing and printmaking. The act of grieving is central to my practice – it is an expression of pain and a process of acknowledging love and transformation. I want to create a space where the unsettling and taboo aspects of grief are normalized, offering others a sense of permission to feel and mourn.

What has the senior exhibition experience been like for you?

The senior exhibition experience has been a highly stressful yet motivating moment for me. Pursuing the labor-intensive and time-consuming practice of stone lithography and reductive woodcut has pushed the bounds of my work ethic and overall production of pieces. I reflect on this experience and conclude that I would not have achieved this body of work without the overwhelming pressure of this exciting deadline and the inspiring opportunities to come.

What will you take away from this project as you transition into the professional world or your next endeavor?

My choice of medium has proven to be quite laborious, and formidable. Each piece I pursue carries the risk of failure, which I have experienced numerous times. Through this I have learned persistence and have been able to persevere through the toughest challenges that have arisen while creating. I believe it is this skill and my comfort with failure that will allow me to transition into the professional art world.

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or MIAD?

I was awarded and accepted a scholarship to attend the Anderson Ranch Foundation Residency, and I will be applying for grad school soon after.

Apply to MIAD and plan your visit to MIAD’s Senior Exhibition!