Sophie Arni

The daughter of a diplomat and humanitarian, Sophie Arni (Class of 2017), was keen to join a global community at NYU Abu Dhabi. 

“It was exciting,” she says, “I identify myself as a globally minded person and NYUAD made me even more connected with people from all over.”

Now studying Curatorial Studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, Sophie’s passion for global art became clear at NYUAD. As an undergraduate, she took a class called Global Renaissance taught by professor Mia M. Mochizuki. “The class taught me the methodologies of studying art history through cross-cultural exchanges and to think about Renaissance as a phenomenon through a different lens and perspective.” 

When she was a sophomore, she began a blog called Global Art Daily. The blog has since developed into a full-blown publication, launching two printed issues of magazines in Japan. Each issue centers on a theme, like street art or women artists, and explores it through diverse lenses, aiming to represent as many countries as possible. 

Global Art Daily also helps maintain Sophie’s NYUAD community. “A lot of my classmates and students either write exhibition reviews or features for the magazine. One student wrote an essay for a class at NYUAD and we ended up publishing it in GAD.” Collaborating with other NYUAD alumni like Isabelle Galet-Lalande (Class of 2017), Ev Zverev (Class of 2016), and Julia Saubier (Class of 2017), Sophie reflects, “This initiative really helped me maintain a lot of relationships from NYUAD.”

Global Art Daily has since taken a backseat as Sophie focuses on her master’s program in Tokyo. “It’s really interesting because it is a small program and it’s very Asia-centric.” She chose the program, housed in Tokyo University of the Arts because she wanted to know more about Contemporary Japanese Art.

“I am really immersed in it now,” she says, “and I look forward to carrying these experiences in future curatorial roles.”