Received the Special Award for painting "Clash" from a pool of 2,200+ submissions.

Artist Statement

"I was born and raised in India and moved to the US at the age of ten. My painting explores the bridge between my culture and heritage, and the experience of trying to find belonging at a school in a foreign country. In an attempt to assimilate into American society, I struggled with the insecurity of being labelled as "other" or "different" a lot, and rejected my roots for a long time before learning to accept myself.
"This piece depicts a figure split between two facets: the right, draped in traditional Indian clothing and gold jewelry, and the left, in a more western-influenced style. The girl's eyes are closed in order to evoke a sense of detachment and insecurity. The shadow falls on her Indian half to indicate concealing that side. To capture the essence of the message, the background also shows the US and Indian flags overlapping and emerging out of the girl.
"For this piece, I used a stretched canvas and outlined my drawing in chalk before beginning the painting process with acrylics. I also used a reference image to paint the self-portrait."

Creative Statement

"Exploring and expressing my creativity, specifically through forms of visual art, allows me to embrace myself, piece together the fragments of my whole identity, and recognize my strengths and flaws. As I've grown as an artist, I have become more confident and positive."