The Bradley Gallery at Lakeland University will feature an exhibition showcasing the work of two senior art students, Amy Kafka and Dakota Aschenbach. The exhibition opens with a reception on November 7 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the university’s Sheboygan County campus and will remain on display until December 5. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when classes are in session.
Amy Kafka, who is finishing her bachelor’s degree in studio art, brings five years of professional experience to the show. Her artwork focuses on themes of nature, mortality, and transformation, often using imagery such as flowers, animals, and butterflies. Kafka said, “These motifs are deeply personal, allowing me to process my lived experience with congenital heart defects and the many near-death encounters that have shaped my perspective of life. Each piece becomes a reflection on impermanence while also honoring the beauty and strength that can exist alongside it.”
Kafka grew up on a hobby farm in Cleveland, Wisconsin, which influenced her connection to animals and her creative process. She explained how her health challenges inform her work: “Living with CHD has meant facing medical trauma and moments of uncertainty, and these experiences resonate in my artwork. At times, my art reveals how I treasure fleeting beauty and whimsical ideas, while at other times it shows my process of working through doubts, emotions, and reflections on death and dying.”
Dakota Aschenbach is completing his bachelor’s degree in graphic design. He has developed his skills through an apprenticeship at a local tattoo shop while also participating as a member of Lakeland’s wrestling team and working various jobs including as a groundskeeper at Whistling Straits Golf Course.
Aschenbach described his approach: “I never stay with one style for long and shift often between realism, ignorance, abstraction, surrealism and landscape artistry. I work in many mediums such as colored pencil, oil paint and digital mediums to showcase my ideas. Each work that I create is nothing more than a commentary on my worldview and the feelings experienced as I walk the path of life.”
He added that his goal is to inspire others through his art: “My goal for my art is to inspire others to become more connected with themselves and to help them slow down and realize that life is never serious enough that you should ignore the beauty of everyday life.”
The exhibition provides an opportunity for both artists to share their perspectives with the university community before their expected graduation in May.
