A recent artist's exhibit honored a student's work on NE Campus.

Earlier this month, Galactica Moderna, a display of artwork by Liliana Folta, was on view for students, faculty and staff.

Folta, a student on NE Campus, presented a one-person show that displayed ceramic pieces.

The artist was invited by the art department instructors to exhibit her work for the school.

"I'm very excited and honored that I was picked as student artist of the month," Folta said.

"I want to thank the art department for this honor and TCC for the postcard they made promoting my show," she said.

Folta's first exhibition took place at the headquarters of American Airlines, where she received an honorable mention. She has also participated in various exhibitions at TCC and the Latin American Art Museum in Miami.

"Liliana has a lot of continuity with her painting, clay or metal," Karmien Bowman, associate professor of art, said.

"She has the same content and aesthetics no matter what medium she is working in. This is the first time we have had a reception for a focused artist, and Liliana is devoted and focused with good quality work. Other faculty had also recommended her for this," she said.

Folta was appointed as the Latin American Art Museum Representative for Puerto Rico and Texas in 1999 and also has collaborated on many catalogs.

"With Liliana's work, I don't see the connection from her painting to her three-dimension work, but I see the same spiritual connection," Richard Hlad, assistant professor of art, said.

Folta has been commissioned for art painting, color consulting and painting furniture for residences and businesses in Puerto Rico, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

"My art reflects the mystery of the Universe, its complexity in vast space and the continued search of the unknown," she said.

"In Tres Lunas, the three moons in my composition represent different civilizations of outer space. The big circle is emblematic of a black hole, invaded by an unidentified foreign object on a mission of exploration," she said. "Other works in this exhibit are concerned with signs of technical advances in other unknown civilizations."

While Folta is not a person searching for aliens, she thinks she has become obsessed with the unknown.

"I truly believe in the vast space called the Universe, we are not the only living species. Certainly, that would be a waste of space," she said.

Folta often wonders about other life forms.

"We are unique as human kind, but isn't it possible that there is another life form out there trying to survive?" she asked. "I wish peace and harmony for the entire galaxy."