I was lucky enough to show 28 original pieces at my first ever solo show at Junior High LA, a local Los Angeles gallery. Pieces included a variety of mediums: large scale painting, digital prints, poems and painted ceramics.
Late Bloomer Thesis:
What does it mean to be on time for the big milestones or moments in your life?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an aching feeling that I’m doing something wrong: that I’m behind schedule, that everyone around me is moving at an instinctive pace that I can’t seem to uncover. As if they know the secret to success in their work, friendships and relationships, and I just haven’t been let in on it.
This feeling of not being on the right track has always weighed on me, especially in recent years as I’ve seen so many of my peers move towards a future that I’ve always wanted (and was conditioned to want) but can’t quite picture myself achieving. Living in a world where access and exposure to updates upon updates from friends, family, and even strangers on the internet has only heightened this acute sense of lateness.
Late Bloomer is an artistic expression that delves deeper into this feeling of lateness:
What does it mean to be where you’re supposed to be?
Where do you have to be in life to finally feel full and whole and content?
Who decides if you’re behind?
How do you know when you’re “there”?
This body of work explores the conflictions of wanting to stay true to myself and respect my journey, while also fighting against the feeling of being hopelessly behind and inadequate. It is a visual confrontation of my own perceived shortcomings and the social norms that built them.