THEY MADE ME WHO I AM

During my freshman year Studio Art 1 class, I discovered one of my first original pieces. The transition from middle school to high school and online to in person was a time in my life that required great, mental strength. People telling you how to feel, pointing you down different paths, not allowing you to just…be. This is where the statue aspect of the piece was created. I wanted to be stagnant. Frozen in time for just a moment to gather how I felt. I wanted to be relieved of the pressure of being told who to be. It felt like people grabbing at my body, contorting me to their image. I depicted that quite literally in my piece. The right head being their image which is calmly resting on a hand symbolizes “them”. And the left head, distressed at the pressure and change being forced upon it. That was my freshman piece.

The piece I am mainly wanting to showcase is the one I made in my pre-college program at Parsons School of Design. I traded my pencil, paper, and watercolor for acrylic and canvas. A medium I have been terrified of which I now do not know why. This painting still needs improvements, but I am incredibly proud of it. It is a clear illustration of how much progress an individual can make when finally allowed to let go of pressures of people around. It is a privilege to be allowed to be free in the ways that I have been. I am forever grateful for the people that helped me get here because in truth…they made me who I am.

(My Freshman Final - Isabel Moya)