Dr. Katherine Desjardins

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Katherine Desjardins earned an MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, where she worked with mentors associated with Italian Radical Design. Her project-based practice expands beyond traditional painting to include installations, drawing, video, and performance. Desjardins' work often expresses themes of culture shock, political indignation, cognitive dissonance, and humor through a collage sensibility that privileges abrupt cuts, layering, and the collision of raw and refined materials. In 2013, she founded 'Re/visible Cities,' a parallel art practice that engages experiential pedagogy and collaborates on projects intended to spark dialogue about climate change, immigration, and gang violence. Her artistic contributions have been recognized internationally, and she has received awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Italian Ministry of Culture. Currently, she divides her time between Chicago and Florence, where she is converting a factory into an international arts incubator dedicated to developing new models of cross-disciplinary experiential learning in the Humanities.

Research Interests

Experience

Instructional Professor

2008-01-01 — Present

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

Teaches courses in the Department of Visual Arts, focusing on project-based practice in various mediums.

Requirements for University of Chicago

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:26
Reading
Required:26
Writing
Required:26
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:104
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree Writing sample Candidate statement
Application Checklist
  • Candidate Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Writing Sample
  • Application Fee
Specialization Notes

Department of Philosophy