Chandler McWilliams

Chandler McWilliams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design Media Arts at UCLA, part of the School of the Arts and Architecture. His practice bridges sculpture, text, and performance to address ethical dilemmas, language, and parenting in an ecologically precarious world. McWilliams holds an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (2013) and completed graduate philosophy studies at The New School for Social Research. He has exhibited globally and co-authored Form + Code in Design, Art, and Architecture (2010).

His research explores intersections between materiality and socio-political critique through works like Who does not depart (2021) and The light and the lightest (2021), which employ neon, embroidery, and mixed media to interrogate human-environment relationships. Teaching engagements include positions at the School of Visual Arts and The Cooper Union.

McWilliams' creative outputs emphasize conceptual rigor and material innovation across installations, videos, and written works. His practice is affiliated with UCLA initiatives such as the Game Lab and Art|Sci Center, reflecting interdisciplinary collaborations in media arts.