Date of Award
Spring 5-31-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Graphic Design
First Advisor
Anther Kiley
Second Advisor
Kathleen Sleboda
Third Advisor
Alicia Cheng
Abstract
textus complexus investigates how language shapes thought by merging scientific rigour and poetic action to challenge reductive narratives. My inquiry stems from a fascination with complexity as an existential condition—one that resists homogenisation, preserves collective memory, and demands inclusive, multidimensional engagement. Hybridity, as a spectrum from complicated to complex, becomes a methodological tool to uncover latent connections that lead to cross-communication, and articulate transitional spaces through recursive processes. By systematising multiplicity via layering, modularisation, and indexing, my work foregrounds expression through form, where structural clarity emerges from cumulative gestures rather than simplification.
The projects in this thesis trace the roots of complexity through curiosity, etymology, and translational practices—examining metaphors in Hindustani linguistics, the interplay of prose and poetry, and material systems like textiles translated into typographic grids. Here, complexity is not a hurdle but a form of truth-seeking: poetic language condenses meaning, prose expands it, and multimodal practices (from tactile ligatures to diagrammatic archives) materialise the interplay of fact and fiction. Modular systems, such as webs or repositories, reveal how legibility thrives within complex organisation, while multilingual & multi-sensory approaches resist oversimplified interpretations of identity and heritage.
This thesis extends beyond its framework to question who defines simplicity & complexity—using cultural contexts like India’s visual traditions as starting points rather than boundaries. The focus remains on how systems of knowledge are structured, and how they might be opened. By treating process as output—through teaching, archiving, and documenting—The projects become an active form of gate-breaking: dismantling fixed categories to make space for multiplicity, whether in language, form, or access.
Recommended Citation
Ruhela, Vishakha, "textus complexus" (2025). Masters Theses. 1428.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1428
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