Publishing the Thesis (MFA Illustration)
Rhode Island School of Design
Department of Illustration
Spring 2025 • Graduate Course
Running alongside their thesis studio projects, this course was designed to guide the Illustration MFA students through the research, writing and production of their graduate thesis books. The thesis book is meant to be a piece of critical writing that reflects upon their studio practice and situates it within the larger context of illustration practice. Aside from producing their individual books, this class also facilitated the students to produce a collective anthology of critical essays reflecting upon their practices.
01 • The Graduate Thesis Book
Students were guided in a highly individualized manner to produce their thesis books to critically reflect upon their studio practice. The course involved providing one-on-one advising on their research approach, writing, and book design and production. The students each delivered highly involved publications, some of which were physically produced in non-traditional, artistic ways. Their thesis books are digitally catalogued on the RISD Library’s Digital Commons platform.
02 • The Illustration Anthology
Through numerous in-class workshopping sessions, the students collectively produced an anthology of twelve critical essays reflecting upon each of their practices. While each essay was written and illustrated in their own unique style and voice, the course facilitated them in bringing those pieces together into a cohesively conceptualized and designed collective publication.
