Growing up, art has always been my space for creativity and self-expression. At a young age, I
found that art was what I enjoy doing the most in my free time and it became my passion ever since.
Throughout my teenage life, art helped me overcome fears of not fitting in and regain confidence to
connect with others. It has had a significant impact on my mental wellbeing and brought opportunism and
happiness into my life. Being an artist means that I have learned to observe and appreciate the world around
me in many different ways, allowing me to see the beauty in the mundane and make the joy come alive. I
am particularly interested in realism because I believe that is how I am best able to illustrate the meaning
and purpose I see in the world. My most current body of work focuses on the emotional aspects of
growing up and the process of leaving childhood behind. I began working on those pieces when I was
approaching my senior year in high school, a time when I truly began thinking of the future and what
entering adulthood would mean for me.
2024, 24” x 20”, oil on canvas. The life of a butterfly encapsulates a journey of transformation, growth, and rebirth, reminding us of the beauty in the cycle of life. For this reason, many cultures view butterflies as symbols of growth and new beginnings. Through this piece, I intend to illustrate the transformation and purpose […]
2024, 36” x 24”, acrylic on canvas. When I was born, my parents planted a dogwood tree for me in our backyard. They chose dogwood in particular because my Chinese zodiac sign is a dog. In this non-representational self-portrait, I wanted to emphasize the similarities between human bone structure and tree limbs. Although the tree […]
2023, 24” x 18”, acrylic on canvas. This self-portrait dives into the fluid narrative of identity, influenced by Jenny Saville’s compelling colorful portraits. In this painting, I engage with the theme of impermanence and the continuous molding of our inner selves to represent how I have grown into the person I am today. The layers […]
2024, 18” x 24”, acrylic on wood panel. As I have grown up, my birthday has always been a time filled with mixed feelings. Instead of feeling exuberance and happiness as I looked forward to what the future would bring, my mind often became filled with nostalgia and sorrow for the years I would never […]
2024, 24” x 36”, oil on canvas. For this piece, I was inspired by an old photograph of myself in red overalls, digging up sand on a beach with a toy shovel. As I stared at the photo album, I began to think of all the time that stood between that moment and where I […]
2023, 30” x 39”, charcoal, white pastel. This tender grasp between two hands is meant to prompt viewers to think about the instances in which they have either extended their help or received it. For this reason, the identity of the people the hands belong to is left to the viewer’s imagination. Most of us […]
2023, 24” x 18”, charcoal
2022-2024, micron pen, walnut ink
2023, 20” x 24”, oil on canvas. In this piece, I intended to highlight an essential part of Asian Americans’ life experiences and our determination to strive for higher. The intense focus of my little brother, Brandon, in this moment represents the persistence and commitment that are fundamental to the incredible accomplishments of many Asian […]
2022, 14” x 11” and 11” x 14”, colored pencil. In this diptych I wanted to illustrate how the companionship we often seek is shared by other animals as well. The piece on the left included two jackals while the one on the right shows two grey crowned cranes; both species are found in eastern […]