Art.

As the first piece of my series dealing with multiculturalism, this work conveys the eye-opening sentiment I had during my international travels. America is idolized as a nation of freedom and a beacon of international affairs, but my travels have awakened me to its disillusionment. Utilizing eye-like motifs and scraps of abandoned tokens of identity, I sought to expose the façade that is America.

Multiculturalism necessarily involves questions of commonality among various societies. This work demonstrates a brief time travel, tracing humanity’s connection to nature, science, and mortality. In defining the scope of humanity, the investigator often oscillates between aspirations of technological advancements conquering nature and the unending cycle of death and birth around which humanity has shaped its identity.

Continuing my investigation of mortality involved in multicultural awareness, I created this piece to depict the fragility of the balance between humanity and nature. Although birds appear to be gathering and nesting in a forest, the trees are barren, and the coloration evokes a bloody scene. Similar disturbing irony can be found in the manner by which humanity coexists with nature.

This work brings my memory traveling to Tanzania and meeting with local children. We experienced the touch of each other’s hands and smiles, both alien and familiar in a shared moment that involved vastly different cultures. Almost like a diary, I used a collage-like method, piecing together the abstract idea of Africa, its textual documentation, and illustrations of my own personal experience.

This work is a playful archive of ground and earth samples I captured in photographs. Some belong to civilized areas while others belong to natural landscape. I wanted to bring the focus of my continued investigation of multiculturalism to the literal ground and its ironic semblance to natural phenomena. People all live on earth.

This cubistic sculpture is a portrait of a crying face. By piecing together paradoxical angles, deformations, and abrupt cuts, I wanted to bring out the erratic torrent of sentiments that course through watching somebody cry. However, given the cold precision with which the piece is arranged, it betrays a sense of dissociation from empathy, focusing instead on the visceral feelings of being overwhelmed, lost, or confused.

This work is an observational study of a stairway that leads to the streets. I was taken aback by the cascading of cage shadows from daylight that walked down the steps in an intricate array.

After grounding my piece in figure drawing, I began experimenting with different media.

Brainstorming ideas in a sketchbook.

Capturing the workspace: an observational painting of my studio space.