Dr. Carla Liesching

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Carla Liesching is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in South Africa and Ithaca, NY. She works in the fields of photography, writing, collage, sculpture, bookmaking, and design, drawing upon her experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa. Her work engages with themes of representation, knowledge, power, and the enduring constructions of race and geography. Liesching's practice critically examines dominant forms of knowledge production and addresses the fragmented, contested, and subjective nature of understanding. Notably, she is the author of "Good Hope," a hybrid image-text memoir that chronicles centuries of struggle against empire and was shortlisted for the Aperture Paris-Photo Book Award. Liesching contributed to the collective work "Whiteness: Racial Imaginary Institute," which explores the ideologies surrounding whiteness. She has exhibited her work both domestically and internationally, including upcoming exhibitions at PhMuseum in Bologna and the Deutsche Börse Foundation in Frankfurt. Liesching serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Art at Cornell University and Ithaca College and is a faculty member at the International Center of Photography, actively engaging in education focused on visual literacy and self-publishing as tools for empowerment.

Research Interests

Experience

Lecturer

2021-08-01 — Present

Department of Art, Cornell University • Ithaca, NY

Teaching courses in art, focusing on photography and interdisciplinary practices.

Visiting Critic

2021-08-01 — Present

Department of Art, Cornell University • Ithaca, NY

Providing critical feedback on student projects and exhibitions.

Lecturer

2021-08-01 — Present

Ithaca College • Ithaca, NY

Delivering lectures in the art department and overseeing student projects.

Faculty

— Present

International Center of Photography •

Educator specializing in youth engagement in photography and visual literacy.

Awards

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Aperture Paris Photo Book Award

#

Foam Talent

#

Light Work Grant

Courses

Introduction to Photography Media Art, Performance, Sound: Intersections Thesis Selected Awards, Grants, Fellowships

Requirements for Cornell University

Master Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:15
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Architecture or related field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Portfolio (SlideRoom)
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Department of Architecture