PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art)
Expressions of Color (2022)
Artist Statement
Expressions of Color is one of PNCA's more prominent shows that feature the art of BIPOC students. My work was presented for its first show and it focused on identity, vulnerability, and the right to see someone's authenticity.
The figures in a lot of my pieces have repeated or collaged elements, a suggestion that the figures aren't 'whole' or static. They stare directly at the viewer wanting to be seen but at the same time not. I always felt there was more vulnerability and honesty in the dishonesty and ambiguity of wanting to be seen. The conflict in emotions is very relatable on a human level.
There is a lot of focus on the grin or the eyes of the figures. The eyes are known to be the window to the soul and the grin is a mask to guide the viewer away from the window. There is a sense of fragility in the constant battle of wanting to be seen or not, and that human quality deserves to be celebrated in its bravery.
First Thursday World Foods Artist Pop-up
(2023)
Artist Statement
At the World Food's First Thursday Artist Pop-up, I showcased many of my illustrations that were very bright, colorful, and had a lot of dynamism and movement. The intent was for the work to stand out and shed light on the characters in the illustrations, to make them the focal point of the exhibition.
The piece titled, '60's Fashion Girlies' was originally an illustrative piece with the concept of a sticker set in mind, however, in the process of exhibiting for this event, they got turned into postcards instead. This way all the fashion girly characters can shine and own their space. The concept of female character agency is something very important in a lot of my work and I continue to illustrate that autonomy in future works.
PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art)
BFA Juried Exhibition (2024)
Artist Statement
I was selected for the BFA Juried Exhibition for my work inspired by the videogame ‘Danganronpa V3’ the third game of the franchise. The genre for Danganronpa is adventure, murder mystery, visual novel, shooter, and psycho-pop. The premise is that 16 talented students are trapped in a strange academy, forced into a killing game for the world to see.
The character displayed in the illustration is named Ouma Kokichi, the antagonist of the game and the victim of the 5th chapter. I was inspired by Kazutaka Kodaka's (the writer and designer of the series) thesis that Ouma’s character is defined as being the ‘embodiment of a lie’, being a symbol of one of the game’s core themes of Truth versus Lies. This symbology is referenced in the black and white of the checkered scarf that is usually around his neck, now floating around him. His head, decapitated by his own hands, his puppet strings held taut, meant to control others, but only to slice his head off in the end. A reference to his suicide in the chapter.
The glitches that rapidly increase in intensity through the video are a reference to another theme of the game of Fiction versus Reality. Ouma was an intelligent character who was trying to break the game, he and his fellow peers for forced to play. Which pushed me to have this piece on a TV installation, to make the desire to break out of fiction more apparent. I have designed him with a conniving, knowing, and mischievous smile despite bleeding out. His purpose, his death, and how it affects the game is a final ‘Fuck You’ to the mastermind of the game. And to the sick viewers who watch it.
Kodaka's character inspires me in the way I look at character's agency in media, it shows me that justice and righteousness exist outside of morally white characters. It promotes my work to explore the humanity in morally black and grey characters and find a connection with them.
