With stalls covered top to bottom with artwork, characters, movies, jokes, political commentary and more, the first floor women’s restroom of the Visual Arts Center is filled with as much vibrancy and creativity as the students who work there. 

Found taped onto the wall of the women’s restroom is a poster with the question: “Why do you write on the bathroom walls?” Varying answers are written below. 

An anonymous UT student presented the conversation and initiated discussion about the pressures of artistic judgments in the world and the sense of security in anonymity both in conversation and art.

Design sophomore Kahlil Davis said the restroom art adds character to the building and gives people the opportunity to express themselves authentically.

“It’s just another way of inclusion,” Davis said. “Just to really express art without having to officially stick to a sketchbook or do it for an assignment. It’s just a way to create without boundaries and limitations.”

Kelly Zhang, an arts and entertainment technologies sophomore, said she used the judgment-free conversations as an argument of appreciation and acceptance for the restroom graffiti and the written responses of the poster.

“There’s no bias. You’re just judging them based on their actual work and the meanings they could have had behind it,” Zhang said. “Everything is multifaceted, so being able to just enjoy the actual work and not judging the person behind it while you’re at it is really interesting.”

Zhang said the restroom graffiti provides a means for support for her and other students as it highlights the Visual Arts Center and allows people to leave behind their thoughts.

Davis said while others may find the graffiti bad, the students of the building generally enjoy the art upon entering the stalls. 

“A lot of us have a good sense of humor, so we really enjoy what’s been written on the bathroom walls,” Davis said. “Even if some consider it bad, people who actually use our building, I think they’d like it.” 

A variety of responses beneath the question on the bathroom wall said the wall art creates a sense of community for the students of the Visual Arts Center.

“It is the only place on campus where my work is not judged, but seen,” an anonymous UT student wrote on the poster.