Up in the Critique Space on the fourth floor of University Hall, UMass Boston student Sharon Milien shared her first solo art exhibition, “HEAT,” Feb. 10 through Feb. 14.
The exhibition aimed to tackle typical beauty standards and allow diverse bodies to be seen. “My inspiration was the fact that whenever we see billboards or magazines, a lot of the people shown are the same type of people — very skinny, traditionally beautiful people,” Milien said.
She continued, “I just wanted to show with my work that everyone has their own spark, everyone has their own thing that makes them beautiful. And, as for a lot of the people in my show, we have queer people, Black people, Latino people — really, just a diverse group of individuals to show what the world actually looks like and that beauty comes in all forms.”
Although Milien hadn’t intended to create art when she began at UMass Boston, she chose to follow her passion and pursue it.
“I think I’ve been making art forever, honestly, since I was little. But when I first came to college, I didn’t want to pursue it because I thought it was unstable, based on what my family had told me,” she said. Originally a psychology major, Milien didn’t add on an art major until her senior year.
While this project has been a work in progress for two years, Milien started working on the exhibition in September 2024. After taking an independent study course, Milien chose to expand on this idea and take it further.
First, Milien began the photoshoot process, which took roughly three months to complete. “The hardest part was getting models, because everyone is so busy and has their own lives,” she said.
In order to find enough models for this project that were willing to help out for free, Milien had to step outside of her comfort zone and recruit new people to join this experience.
“It was very rewarding,” she said. “I never would have gotten those results if I hadn’t branched out. I got to meet so many creative people that I look forward to working with in the future.”
After the photoshoots, Milien began the image transfer process. She started by printing out each photo on clear film, then lathering watercolor paper in hand sanitizer. The alcohol-based hand sanitizer acts as a solvent for the ink. After that, she put the clear film on top of the paper and rubbed it in, copying the image onto the canvas. From there, she began painting. While the process was complex, the outcome was worth it.
“I first started this in 2023 after taking a photography class with Margaret Hart. For that class, she taught us how to do image transfer, so half of the photos used in my show were from that time,” she said.
Milien was surprised by the support she received throughout her journey, especially at her reception Feb. 13. Friends, strangers and art enthusiasts attended to show their support and engage with her exhibit. “I thought it would just be my friends, people I know who would respond to it, but it’s actually such a wide range of humans,” she said.
“A lot of people had questions about the technique,” she added. “It’s actually quite a long process, so I took my time and really explained it to everyone because I want everyone to be able to do it themselves, too. It’s not a process that I want to keep all to myself.”
Milien hopes to show her audience “That anyone can make art. It’s not something that you need a lot of money for, or that you need certain credentials for. Like me — I’m just a normal person and now I have my own exhibition.”
From here, Milien hopes to take her passion further, pursuing a professional career in art. Whether it’s illustrating books, selling her own work or creating murals for clients, she wants art to become a crucial part of her life.
“I really just want my art to be all over the world someday,” she said.
Keep an eye out for Milien’s and other student artists’ future work at UMass Boston.