Humans are constantly making things that will outlast them, from the plastic goods that don't break down, to the infrastructure of our world, and even the food we eat. Simultaneously, we are always trying to extend our own lifespans, and push our own expiration date back. This piece I’ve made, titled Perishables, is a collection a 4 collages of starburst wrappers and painted food products. A set of 4 worked well, aided by the 4 colors of wrappers. I used stereotypical hallmarks of advertisements—bright colors, bold text, and flashy accents—to enhance the plastic commercialized feeling of our food these days. In each one, I’m able to think through different aspects of processed food, like the way it is preserved in a can or how sometimes it simply doesn’t decompose at all. Inspired by videos of hamburgers that never rot, the expiration dates listed on the side of a can years in the future, and plastic packing all our food can be found in, I was intrigued by the idea that the foods we have grown and processed to sustain ourselves could still be here long after we’re gone.

This piece was inspired by the movie Inception. In the artwork, the woman stares pitifully at the fish trapped in the fish tank, imagining its freedom. But she is unaware that she is just like the fish, trapped underwater. This represents the idea that a person may be oblivious to their own struggles, even as they empathize with the struggles of others.

The claustrophobic inevitability of growing up is something that’s been nipping at my heels each day I get older. I know I’m not a kid anymore, but, at the same time, not quite yet an adult. The transition between sun-bathed childhood bedrooms and scarily uncertain adulthood leaves me feeling cramped in a once familiar space I’ve long outgrown.

In my household, there is a convergence of my family's cultures; Portuguese and Indian. Through observation I found a spice cabinet in my house that visually displayed something in my everyday life that was full of culture. The cabinet has traditional Indian spices and boxed powders alongside Portuguese spices. Just like we had the option to use different spices in our dishes, I have had the option to experience the coexistence of the two cultures, which is my inspiration for this artwork.

Holidays and other celebrations hold a special place in the heart of every culture, each one bearing its own unique rituals and traditions. Living in such a diverse country, I have come to really appreciate the spiritual power of holidays and wanted to express it in this painting. My painting portrays two Chinese women preparing a bountiful feast for the New Year, a momentous holiday celebrated by a vast and diverse population. Its message is to demonstrate the power celebrations and holidays have to connect people, even those of polar backgrounds. New Year’s, for example, is celebrated all around the world, from the Chinese Lunar New Year to European New Year’s Eve celebrations. Although people are connected more than ever with the advent of the internet and trivialized cross-continent travel, holidays still manage to maintain a magic to bridge divides, sometimes even better than those novel inventions. The piece goes about portraying the message by focusing on people. This is done through the use of color contrast, with a vignette formed by greys surrounding the warm, saturated colors of the food and people. Another method of emphasizing the people is through a difference in detail level. The hands and the face of the woman are more detailed compared to the food and dishware, further highlighting them. While the two women are not directly touching or in very close contact, they are connected by a mutual connection to the food they are making.

In this work, I tried to convey the struggle of being an Asian American with the juxtaposition of the American bill and the Chinese bill behind the red envelopes. Every Chinese New Year, my family gives put red envelopes to close family and friends, and I was inspired by my experiences with receiving American bills from my family in America, and Chinese bills from my family in China. I often find myself stuck between both parts of my identity, and ponder the question if I could be fully welcome the Asian part of my identity while also being American at the same time. Contrastingly, this piece also represents the ultimate embracing of my Asian American identity, as I’ve grown and come to realize that my identity being both Asian and American has shaped my personal experiences and connection with others around me.

I designed this piece to reflect on how someone's true soul can become hidden. The darkening of the rings from the inside out symbolize how the further one strays from their inner self, the more corrupted and untrue they can become. The rings were thrown on the wheel to remain smoothly symmetrical and polished. The clay rings were closed into hollow tubes to reduce weight and allow the rings to be suspended to create three dimensional movement. However, the heart at the center was hand built to maintain an organic shape.

As I meticulously shaped the flexible wood reeds into chrysalis-like forms to create the lamp, I couldn't help but reminisce about my science class and the awe-inspiring process of nurturing butterflies. The delicate transformation from reed to a sturdy frame symbolized the gradual but essential transition from childhood to adulthood—building a foundation strong enough to carry the weight of experiences yet delicate enough to let the essence of growth shine through. Layer by layer, I delicately applied the mulberry paper, letting it embrace the structure. Its gentle, soft luminosity captured the essence of change and growth, echoing the gentle warmth that illuminates our lives as we evolve. The melding of materials mirrored the amalgamation of lessons learned and experiences gained, creating a piece that embodies the grace and resilience inherent in nature's transformative journey. In this creation, the intertwining of artistry and organic forms reflects the beauty found within our own metamorphoses. Like the butterflies' evolution, this lamp stands as a testament to the quiet elegance inherent in growth—a reminder that life's journey, marked by its own stages of transition, is an ongoing process of becoming, forever shaped by the beauty of transformation and the resilience it demands.

This piece represents my relationship and struggle with legacy. The photos, uncovered from a dusty box in my grandfather's home, are what I fear I will never have. A happy, whole life like that of my mother, my grandfather, and generations before them. Being transgender, I worry I will break this chain that connects me to my earliest ancestors. This piece is a combination of pain and of hope, a visualization of my unknowable future.