Scroll to view two CAS Visual Arts projects.

Nature in the Unnatural, 2021

Pastel and oil pastel on paper

9 x 12 inches

While spending most of my days inside, I began to miss the experience of being in nature, one of the only places where I truly feel at home. The ethereal appearance of fog over the ocean in the morning, an idyllic sunset spread across the sparkling evening sky, or the apex of a mountain drenched in brilliant light were some of the images ingrained in my mind that I eagerly longed to see again. Slouching into the crevice of a coarse slab of rock while watching the sun slowly begin to peek above the jagged hills—seemingly lifeless at first glance, yet filled with a thriving ecosystem—is an experience that I couldn’t get out of my mind. This memory, from my visit to Joshua Tree a few months prior to the beginning of quarantine, brings me back to feelings of exhilaration and possibility.

Staring off into space trapped inside my house, I began to see things that reminded me of the sights and emotions of being in the outdoors. Whether it was the folds in my sheets, the layers crinkled between my curtains, or the grain making up the hardwood floors, I began to visualize these adventitious details in my house as echoes of the natural world. Connecting the unnatural to the natural allowed me to finally feel tranquil again.

I decided to use pastel as my medium because of its smooth drawing quality, which made the whole experience feel more effortless and instinctive. In the process of creating my drawings, I would always be left with a pile of “pastel dust” once I was finished, sparking an image of dirt or sand in nature. It was ironic how even the materials I was using for this project began to remind me of the natural world. The combination of chalk and oil pastel gave way to the ability to create textured layers, while leaving other areas more opaque. I enjoyed experimenting with the contrast between the flat chalk pastel, which was very easy to blend and manipulate, and the rigid oil pastel, which required more precision. While creating my pieces, I did whatever I could to fully immerse myself in the feelings from my experiences in nature, whether that meant looking back at photos I took while at these places or listening to music which invoked similar emotions.

This entire process became a way for me to not only recollect the feelings of being at home in the natural world, but also reflecting on the importance of nature in my own life. My lack of contact with the natural environment over the past year has been difficult, as it has truly felt like my home was taken away from me. As life begins to go back to normal and I am able to return to these congenial places, I will now have a newfound appreciation for the happiness that nature provides and will recognize even more the graveness of doing whatever I can to preserve it.

Click images to enlarge.

Suspended Memories, 2021

Digital photography

Dimensions variable

Throughout my journey in photography, I became deeply fascinated by the intricate stories manifested in photographs. Moments in time which subconsciously slip past us may surprisingly give rise to true value when captured on camera. Documenting these little moments-turned-memories reveal the profoundness of life at every blink of an eye. As I began taking photos more often, photography became not only an art form, but a medium for storytelling, even in the most seemingly mundane times of life.

Storytelling is rooted in perception, which is what I wanted to deeply reflect on in this series. Perception becomes even more important when photographing people, who could be judged the wrong way due to an inaccurate representation of themselves. While devising Suspended Memories, I wanted to capture portraits with these aspects in mind. Consequently, I undertook the challenge of finding the balance between directing the subject and allowing their true self to shine through. Portrait photography also provides an exceptional opportunity for creative expression, especially within the realm of storytelling.

I decided to create a chronicle of some of the most important people in my life, and aimed to illustrate the aspects of them that I admire most. I was inspired by the way I saw portraits in magazines, which I thought fabricated a good balance of impartiality and direction. Editorial photography portrays meaningful stories through simple photos, and I wanted to create my own versions of these stories through photographing my friends.

Throughout the shooting process, I experimented with setting up a scene and producing characters that align with the personalities of those whom I chose to photograph. I worked on storytelling through putting together a variety of outfits, poses, and backgrounds, as well as figuring out how to display the natural sentiment of the subjects at hand. While editing, I took an approach similar to traditional editorial photography by pushing the shadows and highlights to over-dramatize the photos, and increasing the saturation and brightness to emphasize the cheerful mood. I then decided to create images inspired by editorial layouts and photo spreads, similar to what you would see in a magazine.

This project taught me about the importance of illustrating people’s narratives accurately through photography. I had to think deeply about the meaning behind these photos, and what feelings my audience would have for the subjects at hand. Portraits only capture a small flash of reality, and emphasize things that many likely wouldn’t notice in real life. Taking this into account, I felt utterly responsible for conveying the most accurate representation of my friends. I hope that my viewers acknowledge that they are only seeing one side of a story when examining photographs, and attempt to dig deeper rather than reaching a faulty conclusion after first glance. Photography is such a powerful tool, and I encourage others to consciously utilize their cameras as a plausible and purposeful medium.