Introducing the 2024 SJA Fellows
SJA Fellows from top left: John Henley, Huw Messie, Brandon Bunt, Alexander Htet Kyaw, Selena Martinez, Adira Griffin, Queenie Wu, Luke Shannon, Karyn Nakamura, Isaiah Collier.
Steve understood deeply that his own contribution could not exist without the work of others. He had a sense of freedom paired with a sense of urgency and responsibility to put something back into the world that had given him so much. And he sought out ideas everywhere, unconstrained by form or discipline.
It’s with this same spirit of exploration and excitement that we welcome our new group of boundary-breaking SJA Fellows. They find inspiration for their work in people, places, and ideas from across the globe. We asked them to share the influences that drive their passions.
Adira Griffin, 24 | Designer and Artist “Afrofuturism is a concept I truly understood after watching Solange’s When I Get Home (2019). I began to actively reflect and connect with my culture and the Black diaspora.”
Alexander Htet Kyaw, 24 | Engineer and Architect “Growing up in Myanmar, a country under a dictatorship, I had limited exposure to design, technology, and the internet. While seeking refuge in the United States, I witnessed the drastic differences in infrastructure and technology, which inspired me to study architecture and computer science.”
Brandon Bunt, 24 | Mechanical Engineer and Educator “Nausicaä, the protagonist of Miyazaki’s first [computer] animated film, embodies virtues of empathy, curiosity, and healing. The overarching message of the film is strengthened by her unwavering morals and willingness to re-examine her own beliefs.”
Huw Messie, 25 | Computational Designer “Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn are a duo who developed genre-subverting games in the early 2000s, including The Graveyard. Their work often played with established gaming tropes, creating more existential and de-gamified mortal-world expressions.”
Isaiah Collier, 26 | Multi-instrumentalist, Composer, Activist “Nina Simone created a legacy that outlived herself. She persevered. And she said freedom means having no fear. In order for us to do what we do, you have to be fearless.”
John Henley, 22 | Industrial Designer and Woodworker “I’m deeply influenced by the work of Japanese woodworker George Nakashima. With respect for material and modest form at the forefront of his philosophy, Nakashima believed in crafting furniture that celebrates the ‘soul of the tree.’”
Karyn Nakamura, 23 | Artist and AI Researcher “I found images of circuit diagrams inside the casings of old CRT TVs that I collected for a large-scale 60-screen installation. These little surprises are the reason why I love taking things apart.”
Luke Shannon, 23 | Algorithmic Artist “Most recently I've been inspired by Lygia Clark, especially [her work] Caminhando,which uses simple materials (paper and scissors) and instructions to create an amazingly moving piece.”
Queenie Wu, 25 | Creative Technologist and Cartographic Storyteller “The map at the back of a plane seat is my lifelong anchor amidst constant change. I moved homes five times by the age of eight and it provided a sense of continuity.”
Selena Martinez, 24 | Paleobiologist “As an indigenous woman, the traditional lifeways and teachings of my people influence me the most. Our worldview is uncommon in academia and offers a unique perspective when I approach evolutionary questions.”
We invite you to learn more about the 2024 fellows and the SJA Fellowship program here.