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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

Enlightened

Since I had such a strong concept in the beginning, I found little difficulty in conveying multiple correct ways to display this piece. I drew inspiration from “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo and took concepts from there as further inspiration. One side features a human hand and plants with simple patterns, organic shapes and a rising sun, while the other side has a robot hand, complex designs, and inorganic shapes like triangles and squares to further push the artificial themes. Depending on which way the project is displayed, one would see a human hand reaching down to a robotic hand, which could symbolize the advancement of technology and how human intelligence has developed so far it’s paving the way for artificial intelligence. If you flip it, you’ll see the robot hand above the human hand. This could mean artificial intelligence is helping humanity solve the problems it itself has caused. It could also be interpreted as artificial intelligence letting go of humanity to ascend past it, as AI has gotten out of control and is now superior to humanity. Alternatively, one with an optimistic lens might see it as a representation of the link between the past and future, and how humanity must acknowledge both in order to build a better world. I feel most successful in how I layered the cardboard pieces to convey a sense of depth, and to have accurately created a piece that has multiple orientations and multiple interpretations based on how it's perceived.

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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

Tee Off

This piece is a tea pot in the shape of an American football and and has a stand that replicates a kickers tee that they use to kick the ball.

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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

Touch the Heart

This painting encapsulates a moment Chinese families know all too well. It pictures the scene of a young girl eating traditional dim sum dishes, such as chow mein (炒面), steamed dumplings (小笼包), stewed beef with radish (萝卜炆牛腩), and spicy boiled fish soup (水煮鱼) alongside her family. Dim sum, which directly translates to “touch the heart,” has deep roots in Chinese culinary traditions, and the practice has evolved over centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the teahouses along the Silk Road, where travelers would stop for tea and snacks. Over time, the practice spread and became integral to Chinese culinary culture. It has become a widespread practice for family gatherings and social events where families and friends can share a lively conversation and a comforting meal.

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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

Monday Afternoon in Tokyo

During my first trip back to Japan after Covid to visit family, I came across a restaurant situated beneath a subway track. Captivated by the restaurant's brightness and the glowing rice paper lanterns, I took photos drawing later. Because I was traveling, my art materials were limited, and I only had my rollerball pen. Therefore, to show how the sign illuminated and contrasted the dark underpass, I utilized varying degrees of cross-hatching to deliver value. In addition, I changed the direction of the cross-hatching to show a change in texture, curvature, and perspective. In addition, because of the complexity of the real-life location, heavy cross-hatching helps emulate the busyness of the street and the restaurant's exterior. Lastly, I made sure to include pedestrians as they added to the interest and liveliness of the drawing.

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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

True Forms

True Forms is my most recent piece that I have spent over 70 hours mapping out and shading. I used no reference images: the piece was drawn entirely from imagination and memory. In my process, I apply structured partitioning methods I've learned in geometry to guide composition and proportions, and complement it with amorphous subjects like jellyfish. In this “self portrait”, the ruined temple represents the ornate yet antiquated systems and structures of thought presented by western literary canon. While I believe that studying these systems of thought are invaluable, I also think there is value in exploration of other systems of thought as well. This is why the ruins are contained by the circular borders that the jellyfish can break. I chose eastern architecture because my family originates from east Asia: western thought influences the way I think and therefore becomes part of me regardless of my past. Finally, through the juxtaposition of fluent and structured subjects, I hope to convey an appreciation for the human ability to be both rational and irrational. I find western thinking’s obsession with objectivity and dichotomies fascinating yet shortsighted: simplistic logical structure is beautiful, yet so are spectrums. My drawings operate within a black and white framework, yet it is the gray areas that complete them. What I hope the viewer walks away with is a curiosity about the values and perceptions of truth they hold most dear, and a new appreciation for the rational and irrational sides we all possess.

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Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin Visual Art, 2024 Paulina Vo-Griffin

Could be Pink, Could be Blue...but it's a House!

Inspired to sculpt an extension of my body, I created an open pregnant belly that revealed residential interior spaces. Being pregnant signifies bringing something new to the world. Since sixth grade, I have dreamed of designing interior spaces. I created distinct color schemes and styles for each room to show the breadth of my ideas: an elegant and classy foyer, a coastal bedroom, a modern bohemian living room, and a vibrant, playful dining nook. Presenting these rooms as models inside a womb shows the fostering and continuing development of my future design deliveries. When expecting mothers grow and carry a baby in their womb, they build a physical and emotional connection with it. The same happens between people and the built environments they inhabit. This piece expresses my journey of discovering my purpose and symbolizes the legacy I want to leave.

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