ATLANTA—With spring in full swing, the Welch Galleries turn its attention to showcase the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design third-year graduate candidates as they present their much-anticipated M.F.A. thesis exhibitions. Among this year’s cohort is Cheyenne Hendrickson (Photo and Extended Media focus), a multisensory artist whose practice is anchored in research and employs video, sound and installation to explore the human body and create experiences that question awareness of what is inside us and how our insides communicate with the world around.
We connected with Hendrickson about the M.F.A. program and her M.F.A. thesis exhibition, “Auscultation” which opened this week. For the exhibition, Hendrickson traveled to Iceland last fall for an artist residency that yielded a world of research and discovery, culminating in a multisensory thought-provoking thesis exhibition.
What drew you to GSU’s M.F.A. program, and can you please give a brief overview of your artistic practice?
I was drawn to the GSU M.F.A. program because of its emphasis on interdisciplinary practice and its location in a dynamic metropolitan city. I loved how small and intimate the cohort was, there are only two students per year per department — this made me feel like I was going to be able to explore more fully without feeling compact. I sought a program that would not only push the boundaries of my work but also expose me to a diverse range of practices, departments, and research. During my time at GSU, I’ve had the opportunity to explore research across a variety of fields. My artistic practice centers on the concept of the body’s experience. I use a wide range of mediums, including sound, video, installation, ceramics and textiles, to delve into the internal worlds of the body. Whichever medium feels right to explore that part of the body — my main question is ‘what is a body?’
What is the role of research in your practice and its importance?
Research plays a crucial role in my practice. It’s often where I begin, as it’s the foundation that sparks inspiration for my work. When I learn something intriguing — like the process of when the human heart transitions from two chambers to four chambers — it’s hard not to be compelled to create a piece around that concept. Research fuels my curiosity and guides the direction of my projects, providing both the depth and context needed to bring my ideas to life.
Last fall, you participated in a residency in Iceland. How did that come about, your overall experience, and a key takeaway?
Cheyenne Henrickson records a volcano in Iceland.
I chose to participate in a residency in Iceland because I wanted to connect with a place that aligned with my ancestral path. My current work is focused on exploring sonic memories, particularly whether sound, like genetics, is passed down through generations. Iceland was a significant stop for my ancestors as they traveled west from Norway, so it felt like the perfect place to explore these ideas.
While in Iceland, I began expanding my exploration to the sound of different bodies, not just human ones. If I’m investigating the internal worlds of bodies through sound, I feel compelled to examine other forms of existence. I found myself recording glaciers — both internally and externally — because I felt their resonance closely mirrored the internal world I was seeking to understand. A glacier, like the human body, is a complex system with its own rhythms and movements. During my time there, a volcano erupted, and I had the rare opportunity to record sounds both inside and outside the Earth as it erupted—another example of a living, breathing body in action.
One key takeaway from this experience was the realization that we can’t truly know the internal world of something — whether it’s the human body or a receding glacier — until it reaches a point of discomfort or is on the verge of breaking. What we hear is only an external manifestation, and deciphering the internal sound is a strange and fascinating challenge.
For the general audience, please briefly describe your exhibition and what might they discover.
My exhibition “Auscultation” redefines how we experience the interior of the body. It moves away from the familiar, visual world and invites viewers into a space of deep listening — not quietness, but an active engagement with the unknowns within us. By focusing on silence, the work allows us to confront the nonsensical aspects of our internal worlds and make sense of them.
Through sound, installation and textiles, I explore the unseen and often ignored spaces inside the body — the viscera, blood, and muscles. The key focus of the exhibition is the journey the viewer goes on. The installation invites viewers to listen to the body’s essence rather than simply identifying its parts. It encourages a shift in perspective, asking you to engage with the body not from the outside in, but from the inside out. It's an opportunity to listen and touch in a way that challenges our usual understanding of the body’s interior, allowing us to experience its complex, hidden rhythms.
What’s on the horizon after you graduate?
Everything.
"Auscultation" is open March 24-28 at the Welch Galleries / Artist talk on Wednesday, March 26 at 10:30 a.m. / Artist reception on Thursday, March 27 from 5-8:00 p.m.