STATEMENT
& Bio
Statement:
We as individuals experience diversity every day, and most of us don't even realize it. Different races, sexualities, gender identities, body types – the list goes on forever. This diversity is not just present in other people, but within the world of art as well. My art is a culmination of the many different people and cultures I've encountered in my life, as well as my own lived experiences as a queer person. I aspire to uplift and normalize such voices through my work, promoting the stories that so often go untold.
I use a variety of mediums, both digital and traditional, in my works, with a variety of styles. Out of those mediums and styles, my recent work gravitates towards a digital medium, with either intense color contrast or blackwork. In subject matter, my art concentrates on people through character design and other character-based art. Other areas I specialize in include game design, concept art, and storyboarding. My inspirations are drawn from all over the world, focusing on western cartoons/games and Japanese manga and anime. Such focus is evident in my primary style, which emphasizes bold, dark linework, expressive characters, and minimal shading. Through the characters I draw and create, I aim to tell queer and POC stories, influenced by my own and those of the people I've met.
Bio:
Born in Jupiter, Florida and raised in Richmond, Virginia, I moved to the city life of Columbus, Ohio to pursue my passions as an illustrator. Living in three different states with very different social climates has given me the opportunity to be exposed to many diverse opinions and groups of people. This has been one of the main influences behind my desire to use 2D art to uplift and normalize diverse voices.
My journey with illustration began when I was just a child. Cartoons like Adventure Time and Regular Show inspired my earliest works and sparked my passion for character-based art and 2D animation. Now, over a decade later, I specialize in character design, game design, and concept art. While I continue to draw inspiration from western cartoons and games, manga artists like Junji Ito and Tatsuki Fujimoto as well as Japanese anime are another main influence on my work. Simplistic shading, bold and sketchy linework, and expressive characters are the main trademarks of my style, reflecting my international inspirations.
My art has received national acclaim over the years, both for my traditional and digital works. My graphite self-portrait titled Reality Check won the Congressional Art Competition for my district in 2019, after which the piece was displayed in the U.S. Capitol for several years afterward. Additionally, my six-piece series of digital works titled Six Forms won me a Silver Key Portfolio from the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Each piece depicted my own artistic interpretation of the Ancient Greeks' six forms of love, and included an extensive array of races, sexualities, gender identities, and body types to showcase the true diversity of love.
We as individuals experience diversity every day, and most of us don't even realize it. Different races, sexualities, gender identities, body types – the list goes on forever. This diversity is not just present in other people, but within the world of art as well. My art is a culmination of the many different people and cultures I've encountered in my life, as well as my own lived experiences as a queer person. I aspire to uplift and normalize such voices through my work, promoting the stories that so often go untold.
I use a variety of mediums, both digital and traditional, in my works, with a variety of styles. Out of those mediums and styles, my recent work gravitates towards a digital medium, with either intense color contrast or blackwork. In subject matter, my art concentrates on people through character design and other character-based art. Other areas I specialize in include game design, concept art, and storyboarding. My inspirations are drawn from all over the world, focusing on western cartoons/games and Japanese manga and anime. Such focus is evident in my primary style, which emphasizes bold, dark linework, expressive characters, and minimal shading. Through the characters I draw and create, I aim to tell queer and POC stories, influenced by my own and those of the people I've met.
Bio:
Born in Jupiter, Florida and raised in Richmond, Virginia, I moved to the city life of Columbus, Ohio to pursue my passions as an illustrator. Living in three different states with very different social climates has given me the opportunity to be exposed to many diverse opinions and groups of people. This has been one of the main influences behind my desire to use 2D art to uplift and normalize diverse voices.
My journey with illustration began when I was just a child. Cartoons like Adventure Time and Regular Show inspired my earliest works and sparked my passion for character-based art and 2D animation. Now, over a decade later, I specialize in character design, game design, and concept art. While I continue to draw inspiration from western cartoons and games, manga artists like Junji Ito and Tatsuki Fujimoto as well as Japanese anime are another main influence on my work. Simplistic shading, bold and sketchy linework, and expressive characters are the main trademarks of my style, reflecting my international inspirations.
My art has received national acclaim over the years, both for my traditional and digital works. My graphite self-portrait titled Reality Check won the Congressional Art Competition for my district in 2019, after which the piece was displayed in the U.S. Capitol for several years afterward. Additionally, my six-piece series of digital works titled Six Forms won me a Silver Key Portfolio from the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Each piece depicted my own artistic interpretation of the Ancient Greeks' six forms of love, and included an extensive array of races, sexualities, gender identities, and body types to showcase the true diversity of love.
