ASC 11
Art School Confidential (ASC) is a quarterly event series at MASARY Studios. Five regional artists are invited to share a selection of their work for informal peer critique and discussion. ASC is a derivative of the 2006 film bearing the same name, it’s a soft throwback to art school experience.
Episode 11 Artists
MATT BAJOR
Double Diamond
Dichroic acrylic, metal, motion, light
8’ tall x 7’ diameter
2019
Interactive spinning dichroic diamond.
SENIA NOVAK (she/her)
Past Life
VR
Step into a post-Soviet VR world inspired by my childhood memories.
2025
ABOUT:
Senia Novak is a digital artist who works in live production. She makes 3D environments, animation, projection design, graphic design, VFX, and virtual production in Unreal Engine. Working on a project she always brings out her creativity, imagination, and attention to detail to deliver on time. 5 years of experience.
MASARY
Edge Lighting Relief Study 01
24” x 36” canvas, laser cut museum board, aluminum, LED lights
2025This study explores the effects of different lighting and shadow conditions on sculptural elements/surfaces.
ABOUT:
MASARY Studios is a transdisciplinary artist collective reconsidering environments through site-specific installations using sound, light, interactivity, and performance. Based in Boston, the studio's practice includes live percussion performance, electronic music and production, facade projection-mapped video, artistic research, technology and materials fabrication, and the expansive use of animation. The studio is artist-owned and managed and was founded in 2015.
ELLEN OLIVER(she/they)
Tilted Terrains
Boulderboard / 10 minutes
2025
Tilted Terrains explores climbing and route setting as forms of vertical choreography. Movement is informed by the placement and position of handholds and light to showcase an improvisational and way-finding approach to climbing. Projected images are generated through prerecorded mocap climbing data, outdoor climbing footage, handholds, and a greenscreen climbing wall. I am interested in the contrast between lightness and weight, falling and flying, gripping and ease – and I am exploring how my body shifts between these qualities to sustain itself on a wall.
This performance is a work in progress. I welcome feedback on the relationship between my mediated and nonmediated body, as well as the general cohesiveness between the varying images. Technical feedback on the projections is also helpful.
The sound is excerpted from my 2024 MFA thesis, originally composed by Ramin Roshandel for a live motion capture stage
ABOUT:
Ellen Oliver is a dancer from Blackstone, MA. She has been climbing for 7 years and is a routesetter in Rhode Island. Her research explores the intersection of rock climbing and dance through technology, installation, sculpture, and performance. Ellen has collaborated frequently with artists such as Angela Cole, David Hurlin, Dayita Nereyeth, and Ramin Roshandel. Most recently, Ellen’s collaborative work has been performed in a live OptiTrack motion capture studio, a rock climbing piano installation, an empty grain silo, and a 50-foot climbing wall. She has danced with companies and projects across New England and works as a living statue with TEN31 Productions. Most recently, Ellen's collaborative work has been presented at the 2024 Open Air Media Festival in Iowa City. She studied dance at UNC School of the Arts, holds a BA from Hampshire College, and received an MFA in Dance (Choreography) from the University of Iowa. Ellen is currently teaching at Roger Williams University. Thank you, MASARY Studios, for having me at ASC Ep. 11!
Shozab Raza
Membrane
Interaction, Generative Design
2024
Membrane mimics an intelligent, flexible, sensitive surface that changes its properties if stretched. The piece possesses a tactile quality akin to skin. It serves as a bridge between humans and machines, mimicking the behavior and sensation of an organism. When pushed, it provides an interaction that feels alive and organic. Primary goal was to prompt people to recognize the naturalness of future machines.
ABOUT:
Shozab Raza (b. 1997, Sialkot, Pakistan) is a Boston-based Designer, Creative Technologist, and Educator. His work explores visual, interaction, and generative design. He designs websites, brand identities, generative visuals, multimedia performances, and interactive installations, and is currently exploring the potential of AI and large language models.
He has worked with companies such as Coca-Cola, KFC, PepsiCo, SharkNinja, and Universal Music, among others. His work has been featured at venues like the Museum of Science, MIT, and Boston Cyberarts. Shozab recently completed an MFA and teaches design at MassArt and Boston University. He is also a participant in the WIX Weblab in New York, a competitive design fellowship focused on the future of web design. In his free time, he enjoys live coding for raves, musicals, and theatrical performances.
Projects include but are not limited to, brand design, user experience design, interactive installations, generative visuals, creative coding, performance, murals, research books, and a generative program that visualizes data based on his water intake and urination patterns.
