You meet a lot of people at the International House.The International House at UC Berkeley is one of the best places on Earth. People from all over the planet come together under one roof for meals, for coffee, and for hallway conversations. Six hundred students, from eighty different countries. The I House is home to so many cultures, so many ethnicities, and countless opinions, and somehow despite that the I House still manages to flourish as one unified living space--no, probably because of that. With no majority nationality, everyone is a guest, everyone is an explorer, everyone is new to this place and has to learn the ropes with eachother. Even with nearly six-hundred residents, the I House is as tight nit as any family.
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Six Hundred StoriesNearly 600 people live at the I House every year. For two years in a row, I drew every one of them. I'd just knock on doors. While drawing, I had a chance to get to know the resident. We'd talk of where they were from, cultural differences, Mandarin pop music, mathematics, hopes and dreams. The drawings only took a few minutes to finish. But the conversations lasted much longer. And some bloomed into friendships I still hold. And oh! The stories I've heard! The conversations we've shared! And the candy I've been repaid in! It's been a fun project to work on.
I completed this project both semesters in the space of about 14 weeks, while also completing coursework, research, and working two jobs. It's been crazy. And it's been such a gift. |
Copyright 2013-2016 Morgan Randall. All rights reserved.
Video Slideshows of the portraits
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