Examining life’s challenges, I use fear, storytelling, and cultural history to explore themes of transformation in the form of hope. I have always dealt with fear my whole life. I thought that as soon as I became an adult, it would all go away. Boy was I wrong, and it has only grown worse, especially with the way immigrants are treated in the U.S. Immigrants come here for a better life for the next generation, and they are being separated from their children. The thing that would comfort me through such moments is through art. I have always found comfort through art, whether it is watching animated movies, making clay figures or coloring with crayons as a child, which led me to continue pursuing art.
The work presented in Mezcla cover the fear of the darkness, fears associated with immigrant life, fear of dying, and fear of separation. I am inspired by surreal art, animated movies, events that are happening right now, and my childhood. I start with a phobia that I had as a child: Nyctophobia; fear of the dark. NYX is a short logo animation of what I saw in the dark. For fear associated with immigrant life, I celebrate the labors and sacrifices one must make. I use in my digital painting that shows heroism of immigrant parents working hard for their children. For the fear of dying, my board game Spirit Pan shows how we can take this fear and turn it into something fun and good to remember. When it comes to fear, I also include personal fears such as my digital painting that involves the fear of separation after one person leaves. This work questions if we have the option to stick together or separate.
All my artwork begins with fear whether it's an actual phobia, death, losing someone, or fear that's rooted in cultural survival; each one is a transformation from turning anxiety to resilience. I intend viewers to understand fear and how to move through it or reshape into something hopeful.