Spring has come again and with it came City College’s Annual Student Exhibition, featuring an array of student art.

On the second story of the Humanities building, handsome views and warm winds contributed to the Atkinson Gallery’s oasis of large-scale sculptures of and fanciful portraits.

Wandering about the gallery, I breathed in nearly 94 pieces of artwork.

I found my eyes returning to the self-portrait “Where Were You?” by advanced painting student Mathew Woodford.

With a stunning use of army green, beige and black, the piece had an urban feel. Woodford’s excessive use of acrylic paint provided fantastic texture.

There was a presence in the enlarged pupils of the man in his portrait. With his chin cocked slightly back, the young man’s expression left a lingering sense of guiltiness.

Woodford was given the Advanced Painting Merit award and yellow ribbon for his self-portrait later in the evening.

“Interesting artwork seems to have a subliminal message affiliated with it,” said Donna Hunt, an attendee of the exhibit. “There is a moment when you can feel an artists’ pain or pleasure, it speaks to you, or it doesn’t.”

Grotesque and wildly beautiful, Myrina Tunberg’s wall sculpture “Shells,” was made of twisted aluminum mesh that was spackled, torched and shaped into seashell shapes.

Tunberg took first place in the Advanced Sculpture category for “Shells,” taking with her the blue ribbon.