About Me.

To me, art is any form of self-expression. It is a visual vehicle of communication that speaks from the soul. However, my understanding of art and its freedoms is still an ongoing exploration. Growing up in a strict Chinese household and cutthroat community meant that every art lesson, starting from the young age of five, was heavily monitored. Art was intricately woven into my daily routine by my parents, and I simply viewed it as a task I had to excel in. I was trained in traditional mediums all throughout elementary and middle school—mastering still life, portraits, and landscapes en plein air through hundreds of thousands of hours solely focused on my technique. The art I was expected to produce had to be identical to the subject in order to receive acceptance and praise from my parents and my community. This would explain my tendency to restrict myself to realism and traditional techniques. However, upon entering high school, my entire perception of art changed. Where I previously experienced suffocation, I found refuge. Art became my voice and my form of protest against my parents, my community, and the expectations they placed on me. I desperately tried to break free from the “perfect” image I was pushed to conform to, and my art portfolio is a direct reflection of my thoughts during my journey to finding and embracing myself. I hoped that by depicting my struggles through my art, it would not only provide closure as I pushed past my boundaries, but also inspire those around me to reject the traditional values of perfection as well. Similarly, in the future, my art will continue to be my form of self-expression to communicate with the world. Whether it be creating banners to support social movements, like Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter, or raising awareness on the sustainability of the arts as the current Managing Editor-in-Chief of THE MUSE (nhsmuse.org), I am confident I will continue to explore the visual arts as a means of creating change within my community.