I drew my new shoe and decided I wanted to do a sky in the background.

This piece is a comedic but dark reminder that the environment we pollute and corrupt is what we live off of, and all of our abuse of the earth comes back to us at some point through our connection to the earth’s ecosystem.

This artwork depicts the increasing urgency of climate change and our planet. It depicts a “message” in a bottle telling a story of a burning and dying world. It urges us to take action before the green and healthy environment on the outside becomes the world on the inside. It serves as a reminder of the increasing urgency of the issue of climate change.

This work utilizes ideas of cubism to depict the motion of a figure stretching.

To me, this piece represents the joy of being a fan of something.

The artwork that I have painted reflects the Impressionism period in history.

"Drowned" is an art piece I created based on my own mental health experiences - therefore it is very personal to me. I wished to convey the deep and turbulent emotion usually connected to depression and the thoughts within, which made me think of the deep sea, and the uncontrollable nature of the rapids relative to human feeling. This image is a portrayal of the self at its most vulnerable - surrounded by murky darkness, cold and alone, a space once familiarized now empty and devoid of comfort. The background is a stylized realization of the layout of my own room, though the clock-shaped window in the upper left was my own addition. I see it as a “window” into my own self, a testament to baring these dark emotions to the scrutiny of others.

This piece is about my sick grandma in Taiwan.

“Divergence” is an abstract sculpture composed of a copper sheet, which I have hammered, shaped, and colored through the application of oxidizing patinas. “Divergence” represents a confluence of art and science, since I start with raw copper and derive color through chemical reactions rather than traditional pigments. The goal is to open the viewer’s eyes to an unconventional world where nature and science become art. “Divergence” also represents movement and change in our world today. I chose to hammer the copper to create a three-dimensional volume, with contrasting sides divided by a central turquoise triangle. The triangle imitates a delta: look closely and you will see rivulets, swirls and variations, much like a real river. The deep turquoise shades are the result of multiple applications of different chemical reagent formulations, involving acetic acid, cupric nitrate and ammonia. As I made this piece during the start of my high school journey, “Divergence” signifies an opening to new knowledge and ideas. It shows my divergence from conventional thought towards embracing unconventional but beautiful creativity.

Immersed in the allure of the Late Victorian era's extravagant paintings, my artistic endeavor sought to evoke a sense of decadence and luxury. I embarked on a quest to infuse my work with the opulence characteristic of that period, employing a palette dominated by dark, rich colors and dramatic lighting. Each brushstroke became a deliberate dance, a meticulous choreography that aimed to encapsulate the essence of the era's indulgence. As my painting unfolded, the focus on decadence found its muse in the sumptuous dresses and ornate backgrounds. I delved into the intricacies of textures, using heavy brushstrokes that imbued life into the fabric of the dresses and the very essence of the scene. The strokes, textured and laden with intention, created a tactile dimension, inviting viewers to feel the luxurious fabrics and immerse themselves in the palpable opulence.

The more and more time passes, the more I’m pushed to see what I actually want to do.

This piece was inspired by my family’s daily tradition of drinking chai together. The external layer, depicting the bustling chai stands of India, represents the mayhem of daily life, while the inner cylinder represents the core of the tradition - finding moments of peace and togetherness amidst the daily chaos.

In today’s age of social media and the need to keep up with trends, assimilation to popular culture has directly influenced the way we interact with others online. In an effort to “fit in”, many may mask their identity, as represented in my piece with the symbolism of the paintbrush, for fear of being judged by others. In the same way we once followed orders to methodically sit in “criss-cross applesauce” in elementary school, we have fallen prey to the conformity bias present in modern society.

I always feel that something is around me, slowly corroding me, and I am completely unaware of it. The creation of this artwork took a long time, nearly three months. I had no expectations for the final piece; I simply did whatever I wanted to on the canvas based on my emotions at the moment. Each day, I completed a small part, maybe just a groove or a small patch of color. I couldn’t do too much at one time, as looking at it for a long time would make me dizzy, just like my life.

Throughout my life, I have experienced so much joy climbing up trees, roofs, and other high-up places of exploration. At a campsite my friends and I frequented in elementary school, there was an especially beautiful and tall spruce tree. Every climb was different, because the tree had so many shapes and enclaves that created infinite ways to experience it. With the Copper Pavilion, I wanted to capture the joy of an elevated space for repose, conversation, and play. It has a high vantage point, an open-air social space, and even an enclosed meeting room. At the back of the structure, there is a carved-out space in the floor, the perfect reading nook. I chose copper because it is a warm, beautiful, and under-appreciated metal that catches the sun well. The Pavilion is designed to fit next to my school’s small garden, and it is molded around the real-world layout of the trees. In short, the Copper Pavilion is a warm, joyful structure that can be whatever you want it to.

As a trans person, I've been met with bigotry from various sources.

For my Visual Art class, we were given the prompt to draw a self portrait drawn in charcoal with dramatic lighting and headgear, for which I wore headphones.

California Picnic is meant to reflect a day that is both sunny in weather and in emotion. I wanted to encapsulate warm feelings toward family and the outdoors as well as the feeling of sun skin and good food. It expresses all of these things as well as warmth, gratitude, and love for the world. When making this painting I reflected on a day I spent in San Francisco with my family and how I felt on that day. This particular outing was during the odd period of time during 2021 where people were beginning to leave their homes more after the 2020 covid quarantine. The simple joy in eating somewhere different than in your house and the great joy in experiencing the outdoors.

I drew this because I love horror/scary movies.

I decided to create the golden gate bridge because It represents that place that we call home, our beautiful bay area.