The Wave is a handcrafted piece that was built using ceramic coils. Each coil has textures to mimic the ocean's fluidity and form. The bottom of the piece depicts the interaction between the ocean and the sand; the glazes melded under the extreme heat in the kiln to create the illusion of wet sand, transitioning from land to water. Going up towards the top of the work, the glaze colors go from a dark blue to a light blue, and finally to a white-colored glaze which is the foam of an ocean wave. The various glazes that were used illustrate the complexity and beauty that the ocean possesses. The rough texture of the foam and the curvature at the top of the wave attempts to portray movement and the ever-changing tides within the ocean. Paralleling this concept, life constantly changes as we experience new phenomena. While this change is difficult, it presents opportunities to grow and learn, thus revealing the beauty of such events.

This art piece portrays my mom (the youngest) with her three older sisters. I wanted to draw this special moment because this is one of the few photographs of my mom when she was young. I convey the connection between the sisters through their similar clothing, but show each of their uniqueness through their individual facial expressions. The position of the people indicates that they are posing for a photo. The way each of them pose demonstrates their childhood innocence and character, with the oldest sister seeming the most mature and put together. The people and undertones of the background are done in graphite pencil. I used many pencils of different hardness and darkness to capture a variety of contrast in the values. The texture of the background aims to mimic the quality of an old photograph and is achieved through a variety of techniques that I experimented with: painting quick watercolor brush strokes, lightly shading with oil pastels, and dabbing a slightly wet sponge that was dipped in watercolor.

I painted this about multitasking, and how our brains these days are almost built to do/consume multiple things at once, never being satisfied with doing one thing at a time, especially due to the rise of short-form content on the internet. I reflected on my experience during finals week, where I found myself physically unable to focus on one thing at once, constantly switching between tasks and doing multiple things at once. The office setting depicts how our minds are hardwired to this, and how short attention spans have become so very common place.

My piece depicts one of my art educators, Nyame, an inspiration to my creativity. Surrounding him are the colors and art that cover Oakland, the city I live in. The combination of vibrant colors, graphic visuals, and splashes of saturated colors bring life to the dark chaotic streets, and I wanted to convey that in my piece. Each word has a specific meaning, some deeper than others. For example, in white is written "Afronaut", Nyame's Instagram handle. Making this piece was very challenging, as I was constantly choosing how to lay down the watercolors to create a graphic yet realistic look. The contrasting subjects bring together two very different styles, which I think brings life and depth to the piece. In total, the process took approximately 8-10 hours, from sketch to finalized product. Many see street art as an annoyance, or a dirty form of vandalism, but I see it as the embellishments that make a city unique, that bring the city to life.

This watercolor painting captures a deeply personal moment as I lay on my bed, immersed in contemplation about significant aspects of my life. I applied the wet-on-dry technique as I illustrated this piece, employing masking fluid to delicately preserve the star’s brightness in the composition. I intended to evoke a sense of tranquility and intimacy within the artwork which I achieved through using a cool color palette. In creating this painting, my primary objective was to hone my watercolor skills while simultaneously expressing a personal facet of my identity.

“Solitude” portrays the stillness of an elderly man encompassed by a shadow-filled room. His shoulders, burdened by the weight of years, are hunched under the accumulation of time and lost opportunities that have slipped away. Although his eyes are closed, they betray an inner struggle with remorse, depicting a life filled with belated realizations of roads not taken. The expansive negative space around him offers a dual sense of comfort and condemnation—providing a sanctuary for his introspection, yet underscoring the emptiness of his present and the mourning for time irrevocably passed.

Growing up is hard. Sometimes it's easy to forget the little kid that you used to be. For others, it's almost impossible to forget or even stop mourning that version of yourself. This piece highlights how childhood trauma and abuse can linger into adolescence. The image of hands covering the younger self's eyes shows a desire to shield that innocence. The older self's open eyes reveal an awareness of the world. The monochromatic red ties both versions together, emphasizing their connection. Despite occasional disconnect, the inner child persists, reminding us that little kid that lives in you still exists.

This three page comic is about the sole inhabitant of a mechanical sun, represented by a floating spherical ship, and his robot. Alone, the two of them oversee an abandoned Earth in a dystopian future. During their conversation, they give clues about what happened to the barren Earth while tackling the distinction between being alone and loneliness. Although the figure takes on a human-like form and is not treated as a robot, his humanity is neither confirmed nor denied. This brings into question if he can experience loneliness as humans do, if he sees the robot as a companion, or if his hope that humans will return to Earth someday makes him feel not lonely. Finally, the last page ends with an illustration of the mechanical sun above an empty, abandoned landscape to contrast the figure’s optimism with the harsh reality, calling into question the validity of his hope that humans will return and that Earth can be reconstructed. To convey the somber tone of the story, this piece is illustrated in black and white, which reflects the loss of life due to corrupt and polluting human activity, while the color red emphasizes the eerie atmosphere.