Where I Was, Where I Am, Where I’m Going
Past, Present, and Future is a three-panel narrative that explores the evolution of identity across time through personal, generational, and aspirational lenses. Using acrylic, mixed media, and layered symbolism, each canvas reflects a stage in my journey honoring legacy, embracing growth, and imagining possibility.
The Past centers my nana, whose resilience and quiet strength anchor our family history. Portraiture, vintage photos, and patterned geometry create a visual language rooted in heritage and memory. The Present captures my fragmented yet flourishing identity as a woman, artist, and first-generation college graduate. Puzzle pieces, woven textures, and affirmations symbolize complexity and self-construction. The Future, though small in size, is expansive in spirit featuring a sprouting plant held in my hand, set against a soft pastel sky filled with symbols of dreams and uncertainty.
Together, these works form an arc of reflection, resistance, and hope unifying themes of care, healing, and becoming. Through visual storytelling and material contrast, the series invites viewers to consider how we carry the past, shape the present, and reach toward the future.
Rooted in Her Strength
This panel honors my nana, a single mother who carried the weight of her own childhood trauma yet continued to stand strong. Her resilience shaped the foundation of who I am, and the imagery reflects both her hardship and her warmth. I represent her through a portrait or symbolic silhouette, paired with collaged floral fabrics and maternal patterns. I also incorporated the geometric background from one of her old photographs to connect the panel directly to her personal history and make her presence feel alive in the composition. Worn textures and cracked surfaces speak to the struggles she endured, while a golden thread symbolizes continuity and the strength she passed down. A palette of burnt sienna, warm amber, aged cream, and deep maroon creates an intimate and reverent mood as realism blends with expressive elements to honor the roots she provided for me.
Held Together
The present panel shows who I am right now as I piece together my identity through womanhood, education, creativity, and personal growth. I place myself at the center of the canvas within puzzle pieces to show the parts of my life that are coming together. The filled puzzle pieces represent the achievements and experiences that define my present. One piece references Skin Deep, reflecting my emotional and conceptual development. Another includes my graduation photo, symbolizing my academic journey and the legacy I am building. A third highlights He Is the Object, marking the growth of my conceptual voice, and another features the rug I created for an exhibition, representing my expansion as a multidisciplinary artist.
The remaining empty puzzle pieces show that there are still parts of my story I have yet to discover. My melting hoodie and the vibrant patterns underneath express the pressure, fluidity, and complexity of balancing these roles. The sculptural element that extends off the canvas reinforces the idea that my identity cannot be contained within one medium or moment. This panel captures a present self who is still forming yet grounded by creativity, ambition, and the milestones that continue to shape who I am.
I Dream in Color
The future panel represents the hope, possibility, and growth I am nurturing within myself. I paint my hand holding a small sprout to show the future I am actively cultivating as a creator, nurturer, and advocate. Even though the sprout is small, it carries the potential to become something much larger than me, symbolizing my dreams, healing, and the path I am building. The star and cloud above it add a dreamlike quality, representing ambition, guidance, and the belief that my future can shift and expand in ways I cannot yet see.
The soft lavender background and gentle colors create a calm, open atmosphere, reflecting the uncertainty and optimism that come with imagining what lies ahead. The smaller size of the panel emphasizes how beginnings can feel delicate yet powerful. This piece expresses the part of me that looks forward with intention, trusting that what I plant now will grow into a life shaped by creativity, purpose, and continued transformation.