These pieces are entirely crocheted. My inspiration came when it was time to choose a Halloween costume. Reading Dracula had reinvigorated my love for all things gothic. But every year I’m met with the realization that mass-produced costumes are intended to be worn once, and the craftsmanship reflects that. Attitudes towards costumes act as a caricature of modern consumerism. As fast fashion companies have grown into environmentally devastating behemoths, buyers’ expectations of garment quality have plummeted. Crocheting has allowed me to reconnect with clothing, forcing me to slow down and carefully arrange each stitch. The dress was inspired by Morticia Addams' silhouette. I worked the skirt in the round with double crochets and the bodice in rows for a “V” back that laced up for an exact fit. For the shrug, I wanted a spiderweb motif with the conventional raglan form. It was worked in the round with chain stitches and half-double crochets. The cuffs are the one piece of the ensemble I didn’t design myself. I used a pattern from “LunarStill” on Etsy for Victorian lace cuffs. The dress and legwarmers are an alpaca/acrylic blend, the shrug is a wool/acrylic blend, and the cuffs are a bamboo-rayon/Tencel blend. These garments are the culmination of my experiences with fashion, crocheting, and sustainability. As my senior year pushes me to explore future avenues, I’ve realized designing and making clothing is my passion and I plan to pursue this through costume design in my higher education.

Originally named "The Puppet and Her Puppeteer," this piece depicts the struggle of living with anxiety paired with obsessive-compulsive thoughts and patterns. Often, it can feel like your brain is the puppet master, and you are strung up in the air as it whispers cruel thoughts, hoping it won't pull too hard on the strings. I changed the name because it doesn't quite represent the hardest part; there is no outside intrusion, no other person twisting and tangling the strings—there is only you, your thoughts, and what you do with them.

In my piece “Sorcery”, I’m exploring the ways children perceive the world through the merging of reality and fantasy. Through the use of a mirror, I wanted to depict the imagination of children in a seemingly mundane environment, as they tend to find beauty in things that may seem insignificant. Instead of viewing it as a simple bathroom, the child has turned it into a place for experimentation and enchantment with their daydreams. I further emphasized this with the contrast of the warm, saturated scene in the mirror with the more dull and monochrome aspects of reality. I utilized acrylic paint and gouache to not only bring out the bright and saturated colors of fantasy, but also intentionally used looser brushstrokes to represent the simplicity of childhood. In addition to depicting childhood experiences, I also want the viewer to engage with the work in a child-like way. Inspired by books such as I Spy, I intentionally hid specific objects around in my work for the viewer to search for. In this work, there are a total of six ducks for the viewer to find. I hope the audience has as much fun engaging with the work as I did with creating it.

This flower symbolizes how much love i will have for someone special in my life like my mom. It shows that ill love her forever and ever.

This piece was created with gouache and colored pencil on watercolor paper and a book. My artwork is inspired by the magic of childhood stories, and the bittersweet feeling of growing up. I wanted to bring those beloved stories into real life, and recreate what it feels like to be fully immersed in those story tales. I created the inside of the book by cutting a hole through the pages, and pasting the designs inside. This process was a fun challenge for me, especially because I love experimenting with different art forms, and ways I can approach those concepts.

I am initially a blank piece of paper. It is ultimately up to me how I want to inscribe and fold this paper into something beautiful. "Shattered; Bloom" is my first self portrait. I feel that by overcoming the mental block to drawing myself and accepting all my flaws, I am able to present a piece of myself to the world. Only by taking these kinds of risks can one truly bloom. Thus, the act of destruction does not bring a full pause (which would be denoted by a period); instead, it hints that there is something more beautiful to follow.

I had an assignment in art class where I had to draw something in white colored pencil on black paper.

At its heart, this artwork is my confrontation with the duality of my own desires. One facet of my being yearns to embrace and celebrate my cultural heritage, while another longs to emancipate itself from the confines of stereotypical Asian conventions. The backdrop, adorned with intricate blue and white floral designs interwoven with delicate gold, symbolizes the pervasive stereotypes that often shroud Chinese culture. The shattered fragments of this cultural mosaics represent my breaking away from these stereotypes. It beckons us all to ponder the universal question of self-discovery, where we should define who we are, instead of letting society define us.

This artwork symbolizes the emotions of a neglected child, portraying the sense of feeling trapped within the confines of guardian neglect. I wanted to represent the idea of isolation and abandonment felt by neglected children, visually expressing their yearning for attention and care amidst an atmosphere that seems to suffocate them. Despite what children go through, they still want to find happiness in all of their pain. They choose to draw, play, even if no one is around to do those things with them. In all, I hope to have captured the feelings of child being left all alone within their own home.

Homestead 1 explores the turbulence and disruptions I experienced throughout childhood regarding family and mental health issues through imagery of a decayed home.

I made this painting using acrylic paint on a piece of wood. Sunsets and cities are some of my favorite things to paint, so I decided to include them both

This is one of my more recent water color paintings as I did it of my original character Harry.

One particular subject who has always stood out to me in Greek Mythoology is Hestia, the goddess of home, hearth, and hospitality and the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

The product of listening to a lot of podcasts about Baba Yaga.

My “Happy New beginning” artwork displays new colors growing from the old in monochrome to send a call for change and that change is possible.

This piece features a cast of my original characters visiting Munich, Germany for the Wiesen Festival (Oktoberfest.)

This piece was inspired by the idea of receiving opportunities only when you're ready for them. I incorporated the bananas to symbolize the idea of something being "ripe", that you've either worked hard enough that something is ready for you or its just landed in your lap. I painted the man in the center in an illustrative, art deco style with a determined look on his face. I wanted to portray him in this style because of the quintessential American-ness that I feel the art deco style has. In western and American culture, there is often an attitude that with enough work you can do anything, and I wanted to both contradict that idea and agree with it in this piece. The man's determination represents the part of life that is dependent on work, ambition, and drive, and the ripe bananas surrounding him provide the condition that no matter how hard you work, sometimes things only happen when they're supposed to. I chose to have red in the background because of the intensity it gives the painting. The hand behind him is meant to be a hand reaching up to the sky, potentially in a plea or in thanks.

As the title states, this piece attempts to capture the multitude of personas within me. Despite the desire to showcase all aspects simultaneously, I've restrained myself, revealing only a few facets of my diverse personality. Yet, there are rare moments when you catch a glimpse of my true self, a harmonious buzz of all sides converging in unity. Creating collages in gouache has become a source of enjoyment for me, and I’ve attempted to use different art styles that fit well with this piece. This work resonates with me, reflecting the process of opening up, much like selecting our daily attire; I choose who I want to be for the day. There are moments when I see myself in shades of black and white, and then there are times when I embrace the more vivid and exaggerated version of myself, painted in vibrant colors. Additionally, there are also other special bits and pieces about me showcased in this drawing too. Everyone has their own persona palette, and I’ve tried my best to represent mine on paper.

This portrait is an insight of what it means, in my experience, to be Transgender. The orange background contrasts with the cool tones of the figure, implying that when you are Transgender, by default, you are an outlier. Despite the patterns in the background and jacket being the same, the person in the drawing still stands out. Looking closely, these same patterns are lightly drawn on the face and hair of the figure.

This piece was inspired by the constant uncontrolled wildfires that we had all around the world. I decided to paint this scene of desolation because I believe that there should be more done about climate change, whether it be reducing fossil fuels or disposing of waste correctly. This painting is also dedicated to all the firefighters and first responders who risk their lives to save others. Many likely have families to return to, and yet they continue to provide crucial support, and that is something everyone should recognize. Some details in the painting include the burnt car on the left, the trees on the right, and the deer fleeing from the flames. The car represents the effect of climate change on humanity, while the trees and deer represent the effects on our environment and other inhabitants.