Dark to Light
I like to look at the dark and turn it into light. I have always been fascinated with the inner world of people and through my art, I try to transform the dark or shadow side of humanity into something lighter using humor.
Even as a child, I was starting to explore this process. My mom recounts that I would often say, “I only draw when I’m angry.” I’ve drawn a lot in my life, so perhaps I draw while feeling other emotions. Or perhaps, I am always angry.
During college, my final thesis explored what it means to live with chronic pain and themes of captivity. I created a stop motion animation, where the main character, a lump, is trapped in a monochrome world. Toward the end of the animation, the lump finds color. The process of creating this film allowed me to transform my pain into something beautiful.
Since college, I have worked on various personal projects and find myself drawn to animation as a form of visual storytelling. Often, the process of creating a project is a transformative experience for me. For example, when I was frustrated with the perils of online dating, I made an animation critiquing the instant gratification of dating apps. Coincidentally, I brought a woman to the premiere of the film for our second date, and now, she’s my fiance.
As with most people, my 2020 proved to be ripe with dark content. In my first semester of grad school, I found myself needing an outlet to explore our new pandemic world. To capture a slice of the bizarre and unsettling way COVID has shaped my existence, I created a satirical Zoom Cloth commercial. Sometimes, when things are at their shittiest, the only thing I can do is laugh ... or draw … because let’s face it, I still get angry.
