Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Printmaking
First Advisor
Katie Commodore
Second Advisor
LaToya Hobbs
Abstract
Elysa Adams, 2026
Love in Passing Time reflects on how the Black church has molded my understanding of faith, family, and community. Working across relief, screenprint, sculpture, and sound, my practice explores how knowledge is shared across generations through music, tradition, and adornment.
The exhibition draws on my upbringing as a pastor’s child, in which the church serves as both a spiritual and communal home. These experiences appear through sculptural paper garments based on childhood memories, tambourines featuring the faces of people who have impacted my life, carved portraits of my grandparents, and sculptural pews that reference the architecture of worship spaces.
Rather than remaining on a flat surface, my work extends into installation, allowing these memories and experiences to be felt rather than just seen. Through this approach, I create interactive spaces that reflect the Black church’s role as a place of care, continuity, and culture.
Recommended Citation
Adams, Elysa T., "Love In Passing Time" (2026). Masters Theses. 1700.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1700
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
Christianity Commons, Contemporary Art Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Other Music Commons, Printmaking Commons, Sculpture Commons