Razel Mari Sta. Rita MFA’24 is, as he puts it, “a maker” who bridges borders through his work.
Mari graduated from PNCA’s MFA program as a Fulbright Scholar from the Philippines. In keeping with Fulbright's mission of creating global scholars, his work is steeped in a spirit of community.
Connections forged during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired Mari's artistic journey. Mari's art practice was inspired by the artists he met through his work with an NGO championing Filipino artists. “I started crafting my own works — little sculptures and art toys,” he said. The process spurred him to apply for a Fulbright, which led him to PNCA’s MFA program.
Mari describes PNCA's Applied Craft and Design Program as “the perfect program,” citing its interdisciplinary curriculum as one of its strengths. “Most MFAs are more limited in focus on sculpture or fiber, for example, but PNCA’s is interdisciplinary. The focus is on the process of making objects and the intersection of design with that process, which is a really sweet spot for me as an artist,” he shared.
Mari treasured the connections he made with his fellow artists at PNCA. “The core of the program is being in the trenches, working with other makers, hopping from studio to studio,” he said. “All of those interactions with artists of different mediums are really my favorite part of my experience here.”
PNCA introduced Mari to artists from around the world. “I have gained lots of friends internationally through my cohort. The learning of just working with different materials and digging into the why. Why am I doing this? What’s really driving this urge to make? I love thinking about that and discovering that with my cohort here,” he said.
His biggest takeaway from PNCA, which informs his philosophy as an artist, is about both freedom and accessibility. “Making art is about removing limits,” he said. “As an object-maker, you can do whatever you want to do. There’s this limitless dimension to the creative process, but art should also still exist for others to understand, for your message to reach as many people as possible.”
Mari is invigorated to be returning home to the Philippines now that he has completed the MFA program. “Reestablishing my studio practice back home is something I’m looking forward to. I’ve seen my growth here, and now the challenge of putting all of these learnings into my own ecosystem is exciting,” he shared.
There is no doubt, though, that Sta. Rita wants to return to PNCA in the future. “I’d love to be a visiting artist in the future. PNCA is a part of me now.”
