Academic Burnout
Vale P.B.
Gouache Paint
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Through my work, I capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by the demands of family and school. I explore the emotional strain of academic burnout, using bold colors to emphasize the weight of the pressures and linework to convey confinement. I used iconography to convey specific meanings and add conceptual depth to the piece. Some prominent elements include the hierarchical focus on the pencil to demonstrate how much stress students like me feel to excel in school, and how it can all be done with a single pencil. The flame represents my drive, and shows how this motivational force to succeed can be the same force that is eroding away at my mind, showing the toll academic pressures has taken on my mental health. The background is made up of collapsing buildings to demonstrate the lack of control students can feel over other areas of life when they are putting so much of themselves into academics. The piece includes a life-size painting of myself, acting as a mirror-like projection of me confronting emotions I have avoided. I hope viewers relate and find comfort in the idea that they are not alone.
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Art has given me a voice when words did not suffice. When creating, I synthesize my personal experiences into a medley of colors and brushstrokes to tell a story. The more I create, the more I’ve grown fascinated with ways to use creativity to convey distinct meanings from my art.
