In this exhibition, the artists explore alternative ways of “seeing”. Staring Contest playfully challenges traditional modes of observation and invites viewers to reconsider the relationship between how we perceive people, places, and things. The artists freeze time; allowing the gaze to linger, creating space for intimacy through sustained eye contact. As viewers leave the space, they are left with the inevitable questions of growth and decay—plants will die, hair will fall, paper will fade, and copper will oxidize as time passes.

Through their diverse cultural perspectives, the artists push the boundaries of reflection, turning passive observation into an active, reciprocal exchange. As we reflect on the past year and look forward, the exhibition demonstrates how new ways of seeing can reveal hidden truths, childlike joy and curiosity, and offer a deeper understanding of both the self and the other in contemporary life.

Sheng Lor (1987, Thailand) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. She received her BA at University of California, Davis and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has exhibited her work widely across California, including the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, de Young Museum, and SOMArts. Sheng was a recipient of the Helen Frankenthaler Fellowship, UCLA Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, Sankofa Fund for Cultural Preservation Grant, and Surface Design Association Personal Development Grant. Working with textile-informed processes, her practice aims to recraft the canvas as a medium for fugitive discourse, enacting secrets and silences through patterns and materials.

Sue Shu (1999, Shanghai, China) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. She received her BFA at California Institute of the Arts and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Southern California. Sue had her first solo show, When the Monster Speaks in 2024, at Attom Gallery in Lincoln Heights. Her riso zine, When The Monster Speaks was collected by LACA. Sue is a process based artist who makes multi-medium sculptures.

Catherine Wang (1998, Lakewood, CA) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. They received their Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Art Practice and Computer Science from Stanford University in 2022 and is currently an MFA candidate at the California Institute of the Arts. Their work investigates the narratives we attach to places and what makes a place feel like home. Catherine’s paintings also speak to how built and wild spaces are inextricably entangled, especially in Southern California.

Sophia Wolfe (2001, Sunnyvale, CA) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. She received her BFA at California State University Northridge and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Southern California. Sophia has recently exhibited at CalArts, Valencia; CSUN, Northridge; SoMad, New York; and Resin Gallery, Hermosa Beach. At USC’s cinema MFA program Expanded Animation, she researches experimental animation in relation to dreams and consciousness.