Self Portrait 2024
2024, 36''x48''
Graphite, charcoal, grind charcoal pigment, transparent watercolor, sumi ink, colored sumi ink, gold ink, and washi on mixed media paper.
Using the combination of the two cultural art element which represents my Japanese American identiy, I portraited my gratitude towards my luckiness of my life. With all the poeple who supported me, I am able to study art in the wondeful environment in California including UC Berkeley, and having peaceful life which allows me to watch Japanese animation. By incooperating the feeling of the gratidude to my body, I focused on painting intuitive which allows to me express my pure feelings towards people who supported me. Furthermore, this work encourages me to keep stepping forward, use the chances that came with my luckiness, and do everything I can for the myelf and people who supported me.
Click the image for full view
Ability
2024, 36''x44''
Graphite, charcoal, grind charcoal pigment, transparent watercolor, sumi ink, colored sumi ink, gold ink, and washi on mixed media paper.
This work responses to the comment I often receive from peers, "You can be more expressive!". Each time I hear this phrase, I overthink about myself and lose confident as an artist. Althought, I think this commnet is very helpful and nessesary feedback, but through this piece, I wanted to breakthrough this situation and retrieve my confidence as an artist.
In th process of creating this work, I had several opportunities to reflect true form of myself. I learned that it is important to continue researching about myself, experience different situation/strugles, and enjoy art. After finshing this work, I think I did breakthough the situation but I also have to update, prepare and keeping learning about myself when I need to breakthrough again. This work mainly encourages me to gain confidence as an artist, but I aslo wanted to share this feeling/atmosphere for the audience to refelct themselves and to become confident to themsleves.
Click the image for full view
Love
2024, 36''x44''
Graphite, charcoal, grind charcoal pigment, transparent watercolor, sumi ink, colored sumi ink, gold ink, and washi on mixed media paper.
This work is a continuation of the work, Ability. In this work, I emphasised more on the intuitive art-making process. Moreover, I wanted to stop ovethinking and purely enjoy the painting/drawing the abstract expresssion and anime culture. In addition, this painting gave me an ooportunities to rethink about the balance between the logical and intuitive approach. The main theme/mesage of the wrok is the same with Ability which is to enocurage myself and audience to refelct themselves and to become confident to themsleves.
Click the image for full view