"Everything happens at once, or nothing happens at all" is one of my mother's favorite quotes. It's the single quote that has also defined my twenty-four years on earth. Growing up, I found myself waiting for something to happen or too overwhelmed to process information.

 

I think of this exhibition in three chapters, culture, waiting, and freedom. 

 

My name loosely translates to a child that was born without her father. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I physically touched his face. While I waited, I grew into a young girl with an impressionable character; I learned to speak, make friends, and lose friends while I waited.

 

My culture is heavily characterized by expressiveness, from how we dress, talk, and party; this is a massive foundation for my art. We don't believe in waiting for a huge event or milestone to celebrate; we accept that every single moment is a celebration of life.

 

The last chapter of my work is freedom; I attempt to unravel or at least confront the idea of culture and free will. I think of it as a uniform idea of behavior infused with teenage and adult rebellion. My ability to direct my subject to whatever is the norm or the distortion of what is ideal is freedom. Throughout the entirety of this exhibition, I push the envelope on what is ideal of my culture and attempt to understand whatever is left of it while we wait.