Why do I create?
My art is a means for me to navigate my identity in many facets. As a mixed-race person who grew up in rural Maine, I strive to become a role model worthy of looking up to. I am able to use art to dissect, analyze, and challenge my connections with my racial identity.
I am highly inspired and influenced by my grandmother who immigrated to the States from Korea in the 1970s. My art is a recollection of the stories she used to tell me as a child at bedtime. Folktales often present themselves in my art as representations of my childhood nostalgia and a deep longing to know more about this part of myself.
I also deal with ‘lost’ identity in my art through symbols relating to pieces of my background that I did not grow up immersed in. I did not grow up knowing much about the Filipino side of my background, but I am interested in learning more. For me, learning about parts of my culture overlaps with listening to music from each respective culture and appreciating works of art from those regions. Without art, I truly believe I would not know myself as well or as deeply as I do now.
I first understood art as a form of expression when I was in middle school. I am inspired by the cartoons and Japanese animations I watched as a child, especially Dragon Ball. I first began drawing because I was interested in making my own characters, but after mimicking others' art styles for a short while, I became interested in finding my own style. To this day, I still incorporate this interest into my art through my use of an illustrative and colorful art style. My art often has a graphic style that strongly displays varying line qualities as well as a collage effect that packs in many symbols and objects.
My favorite medium to work in is watercolor. I typically draw out my full idea first in pencil and then paint over it with vibrant colors. I love the illustrative effect it gives to my work, and I sometimes enhance this through the use of micron pens. Through this process, I am able to clearly and effectively use my art to retell the stories of both my family and my past.
