Artist's Statement

​The works I have created all focus on the idea of the coming of age journeys we all experience. Everyone’s experience is different and people often come of age multiple times in life. As I came up with ideas to convey this topic, I continued to deepen my own understanding of how I’ve grown and how art can be more meaningful. The goal with my creations is always to evoke emotions for the viewer and share parts of my story that aren’t inherently obvious on the surface. My portfolio slowly evolved as I went through many experiences this year that played a strong role in my coming of age story. A theme of acceptance and self love is present in many of my works but only grows stronger in the works I completed during the second semester. Each piece holds strong underlying meaning and my hope is that viewers take the time to look deeper into the art as well as themselves. In my series titled, “Environments”, the images lack a subject drawing the focus to the world that surrounds me and how it impacts me aside from the visual. One work titled, “Quilted Memories”, is a colorful representation of my father’s coming of age story. It is accompanied by a companion piece called, “Negatives”, which shows how growth isn’t always colorful but negative moments still play a role in coming of age. I chose this topic not only to spark connection but also to better understand myself and my journey so far.