Two Faced

Jacob M.

Acrylic+Silver Leaf on Canvas

• Artist Statement

  Growing up in a mixed-race household feels like you’re in a constant game of tug-of-war. My mom is a Vietnamese refugee, and my dad is an Ashkenazi Jew. I’m always balancing two worlds. “Do I eat the sacred pork dish for Lunar New Year, even though it isn’t kosher? Do I spend the fall celebrating Sukkot or Tết Trung Thu? What do I do when my family doesn't get along?” It can be easy to forget the beautiful parts of being mixed, especially when people are constantly pressuring you or shaping you in one way or another. My piece, Two Faced, celebrates the traditions of my two halves. I hope Two Faced can speak to any mixed-race teen who feels unaccepted and different. YOU and only you get to decide what traditions you continue. You get to decide how you interact with your heritage, and that is a beautiful thing.

• Creative Statement

  To me, creativity means capturing emotions, history, and statements in your art in a way that inspires people in a new way. Creativity is a call to action. Creativity is putting something into the world that inspires others, so that one day their creativity will inspire future generations.