Student Artist Shenuka Corea on Comics and Cats

Shenuka Corea, an NYU Abu Dhabi student artist who is from Sri Lanka, draws inspiration for her comics from her experiences, the natural world, and her friends. “A lot of the art I make I think of as gifts for people,” she says. “It helps me really commit to making a good piece.” Because so many different things influence her work, she chose to study at a university where she could explore and find plenty of inspiration. “At a liberal arts college like NYU Abu Dhabi, you can try everything before deciding what you want to do,” she explains. And she did. In addition to her Art and Art History major, she also added minors in Interactive Media, Theatre, and Literature.

Shenuka plans to pursue a career in comic books and children’s book illustration. In fact, some of the pieces on this page are characters she hopes to use in future work. But here, you’ll see a comic she drew especially for Meet NYU about a campus cat. Like many cities, Abu Dhabi has a sizable population of stray and abandoned cats. In their wanderings, some find their way to NYU Abu Dhabi. Various campus organizations take charge of neutering and vaccinating the cats. Then they are allowed to freely roam the campus, where there is plenty of food and fresh water left out for them. These unofficial NYU Abu Dhabi mascots are friendly sources of support, especially during stressful times.