From Nov. 21 to Dec. 14, Ashland University’s Coburn Art Gallery will display several pieces for its senior exhibition. The art featured this semester is created by commercial art and fine arts major, Kiana Ziegler.

The theme of her exhibit is entitled “Meditation on the Flesh.”

Ziegler said the art focuses on health, well-being and her own experience of living with chronic illness.

“The theme is a personal theme, as all artwork usually is,” Ziegler said. “I am someone who deals with multiple chronic illnesses that have greatly impacted my life, and this work is my self-therapy for dealing with the emotional byproduct from those chronic illnesses.”

Because Ziegler is so connected to the story behind her art, she said she hopes the audience will also be able to experience their own emotional journey upon viewing her pieces.

“I hope that viewers take the time to observe and think about what they see in my show, and figure out what each of these works mean to them and why,” Ziegler said.

Ziegler has been working on her collection for a year and a half and completed a majority of the work this semester. The exhibition will show a variety of her work including paintings, photos, prints and digital paintings.

All but one of Ziegler’s pieces will be available to purchase, along with art from the Pop-Up Shop which is located in the lobby outside of the gallery.

“Please come to my exhibition not only to view my artwork, but to also purchase something from the Pop-Up Shop,” Ziegler said. “Proceeds for that Pop-Up Shop will go to the family of Becky Hale, a graduate of Ashland University’s art department who passed away recently.”

The exhibitions are a way share local talent with the community and give students the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work.

“For a student in the liberal arts, the exhibition is the culmination of their undergraduate career,” director of the Coburn Art Gallery, Cythia Petry said.

Petry said preparing for and setting up a full exhibit, gives seniors real world experience and helps them get ready to work in the professional field of art.

“Supporting student artists is vital to an academically healthy campus community,” Petry said. “Plus, Kiana’s works are powerful, they can stir emotion through both their form and content; this senior exhibition is not to be missed.”