True Forms is my most recent piece that I have spent over 70 hours mapping out and shading. I used no reference images: the piece was drawn entirely from imagination and memory. In my process, I apply structured partitioning methods I've learned in geometry to guide composition and proportions, and complement it with amorphous subjects like jellyfish. In this “self portrait”, the ruined temple represents the ornate yet antiquated systems and structures of thought presented by western literary canon. While I believe that studying these systems of thought are invaluable, I also think there is value in exploration of other systems of thought as well. This is why the ruins are contained by the circular borders that the jellyfish can break. I chose eastern architecture because my family originates from east Asia: western thought influences the way I think and therefore becomes part of me regardless of my past. Finally, through the juxtaposition of fluent and structured subjects, I hope to convey an appreciation for the human ability to be both rational and irrational. I find western thinking’s obsession with objectivity and dichotomies fascinating yet shortsighted: simplistic logical structure is beautiful, yet so are spectrums. My drawings operate within a black and white framework, yet it is the gray areas that complete them. What I hope the viewer walks away with is a curiosity about the values and perceptions of truth they hold most dear, and a new appreciation for the rational and irrational sides we all possess.

Inspired to sculpt an extension of my body, I created an open pregnant belly that revealed residential interior spaces. Being pregnant signifies bringing something new to the world. Since sixth grade, I have dreamed of designing interior spaces. I created distinct color schemes and styles for each room to show the breadth of my ideas: an elegant and classy foyer, a coastal bedroom, a modern bohemian living room, and a vibrant, playful dining nook. Presenting these rooms as models inside a womb shows the fostering and continuing development of my future design deliveries. When expecting mothers grow and carry a baby in their womb, they build a physical and emotional connection with it. The same happens between people and the built environments they inhabit. This piece expresses my journey of discovering my purpose and symbolizes the legacy I want to leave.

I got a redwood branch, sanded it, varnished it, glues a section of leather and went around the part I want to bead, usually towards the upper middle of the stick. Then I started the beading process, glueing the top of a string to the leather, going around with beads and beading each bead into eachother (a three bead drop peyote stitch) with different pattens, including creating my own humming bird pattern. I was taught this process by my Potawatomi grandpa, who named me nanokas (hummingbird), inspiring my pattern.

I'm an overthinker, someone who worries a lot about mundane things and constantly comes up with all kinds of theories. This illustration is a glimpse of the inside of my head when I aim to phrase a comment with the right inflection, deliberate over the best way to display 5 photos on a square paper, or chew over how to cross my leg--right leg over the left or left leg over the right. The intricate clutter of haphazardly constructed buildings reflects this bustling mental energy, like a dozen half-formed conclusions branching from one idea.

As human beings, we all go back to where we started. Depending on your religion, we are given back to the Earth through the ocean, which is represented by the cloth, or soil, which is represented by the flowers. This piece is to show the circle of life and death, Samsara. Samsara is a term used in Hinduism to depict reincarnation. After death, a human is known to be reborn with the same soul, but in a different body. This piece shows a twist of a classic still life image, which I clicked. Instead of going along with traditional black/white or the colors represented in the picture, I chose to tint the entire piece with the color blue. Because blue had an interconnection with the emotion of sadness, and so does death, I thought that this would a great way to enhance a still life piece into something a little more creative.

My second semester of junior year I was coming to the conclusion that I was transgender. This was a very challenging realization for me because my mother is schizophrenic and bipolar and she left my life about 3 years ago. I realized that I needed and wanted someone to teach me the things I never learned but then I realized that was never going to happen. I fell into a deep depression realizing that I would never have the mother I needed and I was continuously overwhelmed by my PTSD and anxiety. I stopped going to school and no one really understood why so I made this piece to help explain it while also helping me work through it.

I've always been fascinated with the importance of material objects in everyday life. Most people don’t really pay attention to things around them, but every object tells a story, whether that be an old stuffed animal, a random t-shirt, or the Sprite at the back of the fridge. These objects show who you are; they represent one’s interests and hobbies, their routine, community, past, etc. - everything that makes up their identity and history. With this piece, I sought to explore how ingrained electronics have become in the modern day. The amount of screens emphasizes their importance, and the images on the screens show a glimpse into the subjects life. I used graphite, a black and white medium, in order to really emphasize the harsh contract between the dark room and the blinding light from the screens. That, in addition to the hand reaching out of the screen, represent the harm that these particular objects can bring to our physical and mental wellbeing despite how vital they have become.