KNOWLEDGE ON FULL DISPLAY
Grad student Joe Han designs sculpture to share knowledge with peers
The sculpture is made of stainless steel and features math equations and symbols on its branches. According to Han and Jubran, when the sun hits the branches, it creates a reflection of the symbols on the ground.
East Carolina University graduate student Joe Han says he likes to share his knowledge with others. Now, thanks to his design for a sculpture that was recently installed at College Hill, he finally can.
Han’s design won a competition that started back in 2017. Hanna Jubran, Han’s sculpture professor, said that 12 students participated in the sculpture competition that required each student to create a model that was selected by the committee. The two finalists were required to create another model and a video presentation. The model and presentation were submitted to a committee, with the committee and students selecting the winner.
“The idea and concept of the sculpture had to do with knowledge and education, and Joe’s work fit perfectly because he utilized words and math from different languages that were associated with knowledge and education,” Jubran said.
Jubran said Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Living William McCartney had the idea for the art installation.
“Campus Living was excited to partner with the Great Books Program to sponsor two significant outdoor sculptures that all our students, and the overall community, will have the opportunity to enjoy. These works of art truly feature the skills and talents of ECU student artists and graduates,” said McCartney, adding that another sculpture is planned to be installed next year near Joyner Library.
Han said when he was first approached with the idea, he looked at the space in front of College Hill Suites where the sculpture would be installed.
“I saw that the area was rectangular, and it was a place where a lot of students walked to class and to their dorms. I wanted to make an interactive piece of work, not something that would be isolated from its surroundings but could change its surroundings and how people think of the space around the sculpture,” Han said.
The sculpture is made of stainless steel and features math equations and symbols on its branches. According to Han and Jubran, when the sun hits the branches, it creates a reflection of the symbols on the ground.
Han hopes that the sculpture will have an impact on the students who pass it on a daily basis, and that working on it gave him a great sense of achievement, he said. While his current plans involve designing products for offices, he hasn’t ruled out designing more public sculptures in the future.
“This type of project truly shows commitment to displaying the talents and achievements of our students and that student success is a priority of our faculty and staff members,” said Brian Mattern, associate director of finance for Campus Living.
The cost of the project including design, construction and installation was budgeted at $28,000 and funded by Campus Living and Great Books, he said.
Han hopes that the sculpture will have an impact on the students who pass it on a daily basis.