Mental Health Awareness
“I chose this category because I know that many people struggle with mental health and I wanted to make this art for them to show my support.”
Hope and Justice
Don’t Speak
“Trauma can be difficult for people to speak up about. It’s even harder to talk about your trauma when you don’t have people who are supportive and willing to take you seriously. It’s very important that people have someone to talk to about their traumatic experiences [with], because talking about it helps in overcoming it; it’s also important that people recognize their ability to create safe spaces. […] I have overcome my own trauma thanks to my friends who have given me a place where I feel safe and comfortable enough to talk about it.”
Sucked In
“My ‘Hope’ entry is meant to represent what I’ve become post-pandemic. It shows how screens, like my cellphone, have affected my life. It feels like I’m being sucked in and losing control; but a special person has been able to help me [keep] from losing all touch with reality. My hope is that I can learn to rely less on my phone and more on the people around me.”
Maybe if I was…
“As a biracial female in a white-male-dominant environment, I find it very important to point out racist and sexist behavior when I see it. I was very excited to make an entry about my personal experience and how I’ve dealt with these unjust problems in the hope that others might be able to take some of the ideas and apply them to their own situations or simply be more understanding.”
Fly
My entry shows a girl releasing a bird, which flies out from her hands. This drawing conveys how I felt when one of my close friends moved away few years ago. I felt like I had let go of her, and for a while I was sad. However, I soon learned that our connection couldn’t be severed so easily by mere distance. We could still talk over text, and even though it isn’t as good as being able to see each other in person, it is better than nothing. I also hold onto hope for the future. When we become older and gain independence, perhaps we can see each other again. And I’m willing to work hard until that day comes.
Angel Peer vs. Devil Peer
My submission Angel Peer vs. Devil Peer compares and contrasts the effects or accepting, or denying peer pressure. One side features an angel peer where the teenager rejects peer pressure and maintains a happy healthy state. The other side features a devil peer where the teenager accepts peer pressure and lives in an unhealthy and depressed state.
Unacknowledged Genocides
I drew a digital news article which discusses the bad treatment Palestinians are facing. For the main “article” art piece I drew the Palestinian flag, with the keffiyeh pattern, which is worn by many people showing their support for Palestine, and a child hurling a stone with a slingshot, which shows that children are trying to protect their country against soldiers and tanks that threaten them, inside the silhouette of the country Palestine. I also included some writing explaining some horrific events that have occurred in Palestine.
I included an “advertisement” which has the Uyghur flag behind a woman wearing a mask that has China’s flag as a hand covering the mouth, the Uyghur flag signifying how China is oppressing and capturing the Uyghur people. The Chinese government even went as far as saying that they want to “nip terrorist activities in the bud” (China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang). Not only is this Islamophobia, but what they are doing is a terroristic act because they have committed the genocide of many Uyghurs.
Will you braid the Earth’s hair, too?
This piece is a celebration of Earth and our relationship with it. Our relationship to the Earth is integral to how we can hope for better and even do better– to recognize that we are connected. There is no us without the Earth and there could potentially be no Earth without us in the future. I think we tend to lose sight of this connection as we grow older. We spend less time outside and thus less time nurturing that connection. If we can remind ourselves of the connection we saw when we were younger, we can re-learn how to care for our Earth. When was the last time you braided the Earth’s hair?
Light behind the Fog
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.
Help yourself
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.”