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New Beginnings and Past Dreams
Danielle Okimoto
Digital illustration, 17 x 10.75 in.
New Beginnings and Past Dreams concludes this series by reflecting on the quiet space between the end of a chapter and the start of something new. I was inspired by Buddhist funeral customs which are apparent in the transition from a spiritual offering to a physical shoreline. The character stands on land for the first time, signaling the end of one journey, while the vast ocean suggests more to come. By depicting the final panel without the character, the focus shifts from her presence to the enduring nature of her journey, offering a sense of peace and closure to this story.
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Inday’s Teachings
Gianna Villavicencio
Digital art Clip Studio Paint, 12.8″ x 7.2″, 3840 px x 2160 px, 350 cpi
Inday’s Teachings is a digital artwork tributing to pre-colonial Visayan heritage, depicting siblings in a stilt payag (home) practicing traditional pottery. By a warm campfire, the “Inday” (younger sister) instructs her brother, passing what she knows to him. The subjects are adorned in authentic clothing–bahag, patadyong–and intricate gold jewelry. Their bodies are covered with historical batok (tattoos) also.I used a warm and unified palette to emphasize the subjects and to show off their familial bond This work aims to reclaim a “lost” history of Filipino wealth and artistry, presenting a vibrant, dignified portrait of my culture before colonization.
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The Reach of Time
Cabien Nelson
Clay, wire, wood base, 10 x 5.5 in.
This ceramic sculpture explores the tension between ambition and the relentless passage of time. Two distinct platforms—one rough and chaotic, the other smooth and serene—represent the journey from “zero progress” to musical mastery. A faceless figure, inspired by the anonymity of Albert György’s Melancholy, remains trapped on the jagged starting point.
The man’s unfinished lower half symbolizes his inability to move toward his goals, while a massive hand—inspired by Lorenzo Quinn’s monumental sculptures—reaches from behind to represent time catching up. Reflecting the contemplative stasis of Rodin’s The Thinker, the work captures the tragedy of a passion for music stalled by hesitation.
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The Sound of Unity
Cabien Nelson
Traditional pencil, pen, and marker, 9 x 12 in., 2 pieces
This two-panel work explores the sacred connection between the Aina (land) and the Hawaiian people through the interpretation of petroglyphs and enata. One panel depicts a couple and intertwined trees—rendered in contrasting tones to symbolize balance—while the second reveals a cave where these forms transform into traditional symbols.
Bridging my theme of music with indigenous storytelling, a figure plays the ukulele, sending sound waves that unite the two scenes. By blending realistic textures, like “yarn-weaved” water, with symbolic line work, I illustrate how music and ancestral protection harmonize the physical and spiritual worlds.