The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) opens today, showcasing the work of Priyanka D’Souza among six graduating students from UC Berkeley. The annual event, a tradition since 1970, has featured over 300 artists, including notable figures like Jay DeFeo and Shirin Neshat.

D’Souza's work focuses on how bodies interact with public spaces such as museums, emphasizing rest and accessibility. "Everyone needs and deserves rest," she stated, explaining her attention to seating arrangements around her installations.

Originally from Mumbai, D’Souza previously participated in an artist residency at the Delfina Foundation in London. There, she noted the lack of accommodations for visitors in prestigious museums and responded by creating Resting Museum on Instagram. This project critiques institutional accessibility alongside collaborator Shreyasi Pathak.

D’Souza’s MFA exhibition piece uses campus protest photos from Berkeley archives transformed into semi-abstract renderings through embossing and stenciling techniques. Her display choice prioritizes seated or child viewers over standing adults. "Having a rolling stool changes the way someone can move through and engage with the space," she said.

Her experience at Berkeley was influenced by its legacy in disability rights and free speech activism. A personal challenge arose when her TOEFL exam speaking score was affected by a disability-related speech impediment but was resolved with help from Berkeley’s Disabled Students Program.

The exhibition features historical images recreated as embossed drawings reflecting scenes from the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s. An installation handout discusses campus protest sites like Sproul Plaza, linking past demonstrations to recent events such as a rally on March 20.

Steel plaques next to D’Souza’s drawings bear archival documents from the Free Speech Movement titled “Instructions for Walk-out Coordinators.” She questioned traditional protest methods: "If you can barely walk, how do you walk out in protest?"

The title of her thesis installation is derived from these instructions: b. Call in sick.

The UC Berkeley MFA Exhibition runs until July 27 at BAMPFA, with an artists’ talk scheduled for May 16 at 5:30 p.m. More details are available at bampfa.org.