This summer, fourth-year Interior Design major Mia Kobylinski studied and worked abroad in Sorrento, Italy, interning at JK Studios.

Working closely with Julia Krahn, a fine artist from Germany who moved to Italy to pursue photography, sculpture, and performance art, Mia had the opportunity to learn the rewards and challenges of working in a new culture. The main project Mia assisted on was titled “ST. JAVELIN”, a photography collection that features Ukrainian refugee women who have settled in Italy after fleeing the war in their home country. This collection of nine photographs, one including a self-portrait by the artist herself, hangs on the main road in Sorrento as tapestry-like veils that flow in the wind and change in the daylight. Mia had the chance to meet several of the women involved in the collection and even had the privilege of being behind the scenes in the production of a new photograph, working closely with Julia. Throughout her two-and-a-half-month stay in Italy, she also worked on outreach to nearby cities to expand the exhibit, a digital museum space, as well as research on NFT art and moving Julia’s art to new platforms.