Senior Cairo Dwek showcased her artwork from her AP Art class on May 5 in the upstairs gallery as part of her senior exhibition. Her drawings were inspired by personal experiences. Two pieces of her show were removed because of concerns regarding the content of the pieces at the request of Assistant Head of School and Middle School Director Karen Pavliscak.

“This project challenged me to investigate aspects of my life that I tend to suppress and hide. Once overcoming my initial discomfort, I began to center my work on emotional conflicts within myself instead of conflicts in relationships. My discomfort is reflected by the slight imperfections in my work which serve to distort certain scenarios,” Dwek said in her artist statement.

Dwek expressed frustration that she couldn’t exhibit all of her pieces in her show in the same place. The two pieces were moved downstairs from the upstairs gallery that housed her other work.

“It’s my job to review what middle schoolers see in an education setting. Two of the pieces I felt deserved a more intimate presentation space than a hallway going from middle school lockers to the front of the school. These mature pieces might be better served in an intimate space, so I asked that they might be replaced in the downstairs gallery that is more suitable for their content,” Pavliscack said.

“It’s great that her work is that provocative and asks that many quesitons. It means that the work is doing it’s job, she’s really talented. She’s talking about really important issues,” Visual Arts Department Chair Emily Silver said on the issue.