The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to top MFA programs around the world. Variations of this SOP got accepted at UCLA, Yale, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Read this essay to get inspiration and understand what a top MFA SOP should look like.

You might also be interested in reading this Sample MFA Personal Statement that got admitted to Parsons, New School, and Chicago.

Sample MFA Statement of Purpose

My first degree in Textile Design helped me play around with different “techniques and materials,” which eventually played a crucial role in my work. “Textiles” as a major and “sculpture textiles” as an elective were a perfect merger of contemporary and unusual mediums. I realized that medium and material are among artists’ most robust tools. Gradually my work started to get experimental, and I enjoyed breaking down the barriers between art and textiles. My artistic queries have been based on social issues, and I was keen to explore them in my thesis and present my concerns to the public. It reflected what it meant to live in a polarized world, where human life is dispensable. I was interested in exploring how a violent, suppressed, and radical society affects individuals. The resulting sculptures had an ethereal quality, receiving a positive critique from Dr. Virginia Whiles, which encouraged me to keep developing my art practice in sculpture despite my undergraduate in Textiles. Since then, I have been exhibiting my work nationally and internationally.

After my graduation, alongside exhibitions, I did community-based projects with NGOs. These projects were closer to my heart (due to my personal experiences) because they were for women’s empowerment and gender equality. In addition, they discovered my passion for teaching. I joined a local school. I doubled student enrolment in secondary school and started Art and Design at the high school level. Today, many of my students are studying at some prestigious art schools. Alongside teaching, I continued my art practice and worked as a studio assistant for Benedict Cumberbatch, an Oscars Prize nominee. The work I produced for her got exhibited in India, Dubai, and London, making me realize that sculpture had an international appreciation. My career took a personal turn. The diluted, abstract forms started appearing in my work, reflecting my trauma experiences in an abusive marriage. I absorb and translate what I see and experience within my environment into my “own language” using sculptures. My collages are encased in resin, creating a three-dimensional landscape frozen in time. The sculptures spoke in metaphors that are based upon human reaction and response. I transformed materials to make them appear as if they had been found like shards or celestial bodies, giving them an air of mystery, like relics of the future and unfortunate events of the past. Hear stitches, gauze, bandages, transparency, text, and fragments symbolize loss, pain, and suffering.

While pursuing an MFA in sculpture, I want to specifically take electives in the role of gender and feminism in art and study these subjects, where these debates are perceived with openness. Moreover, the faculty are practicing artists themselves. Therefore, each student’s critique from the practicing faculty is unique and sets apart MFA programs.

During my undergrad, I studied with diverse cohorts that shaped my perspective as an artist. I met fantastic people from different areas and oppressed communities who inspired my thinking. One of the factors I genuinely admire about MFA is its diverse cohorts and inclusive community. For an artist living in the present world, such an inclusive environment would broaden my art practice. Furthermore, the discourse with various cohorts in art critique and feedback would refine my work and equip me with better communication skills.

Despite such productive work experience, I find it challenging to navigate my art practice due to geographical and cultural factors. Therefore, I recognize the need for an advanced degree in studio practice if I seek to effectively achieve my future goals. The most vital lesson I have learned in recent years as an artist is to express uncomfortable situations like grief, abuse of power, and catastrophe through my work, no matter how small my voice is. An MFA from a reputable university would equip me to grow personally and professionally.