Hope and Justice

My art piece is about mental health awareness. Some who struggle with mental health issues may feel like they are trapped, but there is hope. The thick fog that you may feel lost in can be overcome, as you are your own light.

Content warning: About violence and contains content that might be activating. “I wanted to discuss both violence and concerns related to mental health. Violence in the workplace, in schools, and even online has been a common concern over the years, and it still occurs every day. I made this piece because I wish those who are suffering to keep looking for help and for more mental health services to be readily available. Because I am aware that there are still countless victims out there who have not yet dared to confront abuse and seek assistance because they are too afraid and suffer from severe anxiety and sadness. As a result, the victim experiences psychological issues, and many victims—particularly young people with promising futures—decide to take their life because they don’t know how to get help. I thus painted a girl with bumps and wounds in my artwork. This depicts a girl who was subjected to both physical and psychological abuse, but who instead of taking her own life, chose to seek help from others.”

This is my version of Michelle Yeoh winning an Oscar at this year’s award ceremony. Her message of hope was inspiring. I added in some celebratory aspects, and animated the image a bit, but wanted to express absolute joy and excitement through features in my art. Out of the 95 years the Oscar award show has been running, Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian woman to win the lead actress role–which has only been this year. During her acceptance speech, Michelle Yeoh was vocal and proud of being Asian, spreading more positivity about representation for people that “look like” her, inspiring others to work hard and not give up on dreams.

This digital art piece is meant to represent the racism I experienced as a child at school, especially during lunch, when I would bring my mom’s homemade food to school. I loved my culture, and I loved the food my mom would make me. But the other kids weren’t familiar with my culture, and they would make insensitive remarks about my food that would make me feel embarrassed to have brought it. Once, someone told me the chả lụa I brought smelled like stinky cheese. I stopped bringing the delicious meals my mom would make, all because the other kids would make these remarks. I don’t think it was the kids’ fault for being that way. They were just never taught that there were other people out there, with different cultures, foods, and traditions, and I want to raise awareness around how important it is that parents properly teach their children these things. If we want to stop racism, we should start with educating our kids better.