Awarded Art
Pfizer's 'Design for Science' challenge (2021) appealed to a critical intersection of my two favorite fields — art and science — in its focus on solving the issue of widespread scientific illiteracy through visual means. I chose to illustrate the importance of 'Vaccines' as one of Pfizer's main therapeutic points of interest due to the critical role that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has been playing in the past several years. Depicted amongst skyscrapers as both a symbol of human achievement and as a literal component in human infrastructure, I wanted the syringe to stand out with a 3D form amidst a colorful, 2D scene. It was ultimately shortlisted, and Pfizer has purchased exclusive global usage rights and license for the submission for use within Pfizer’s ‘Science Will Win’ campaign, such as educational materials, social media posts, and company events.
Coursework
Tasked simply with representing ourselves in a series of at least three images, I knew immediately I wanted to make use of a typeface for the final assignment in the course ('On Images'). Below, the 'a' is slowly filled, and finally overflows, with water. I used liquid's inherent quality in conforming to the volume that it occupies to represent my own malleability.
My final assignment for 'America in World Civilization' called for an authentic representation of the United States. Through this digital piece, I chose to characterize this nation as a conflicted one — one that encompasses numerous narratives fighting for visibility. This battle is illustrated by the use of positive and negative space, where the sun shining out in the form of a flying eagle is eclipsed by clouds in the shape of an encroaching snake. Here, the visionary face of America, so carefully sculpted and preserved by its founders as a beacon for freedom and respect, is visualized by the very symbol they chose to represent it. But the authentic face of America, bubbling beneath and eating at its presented facade, is embodied by an allusion to wildness, survival, and defiance. Benjamin Franklin’s well-publicized “Join or Die” (1754) cartoon popularized the image of the snake as a symbol of American unity, capitalizing upon impressions of Native American fierceness to fortify divides from perceived European, and specifically British, refinement. This piece redefines it as a testimonial of American authenticity, recharacterizing fierceness as a quality of the erased, and of those who are forced to demand their visibility from that which is proclaimed.
With 300+ hand-drawn frames, this animation (intended to be viewed in a loop) for 'Seeing Through Drawing' explores my relationship with Chinese mythology and the turbulent legends of Chang'E. I sought to reinvent the stories that describe her as vain and selfish, or as noble and heroic, by illustrating a girl that perhaps, simply, saw solace in the moon that would become her immortal home. As I wrote in my artist's statement: "Let’s be honest — it doesn’t make for a good story. There is little fanfare. I could tell it year after year and my listener would always forget. But when I gaze into the dark sky, as I believe 嫦娥 to have done in a time that far precedes me, I trust we are seeing the same happy ending."
Personal Art
Art can be a convenient gift to give when I've run out of time to actually buy something. Featuring (in order) pieces for friends and family, classical book cover redesigns (that I never got around to submitting), more gifts, portraits of my own novel characters, and selections from my AP Art portfolio!
