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The Hero Within
Cabien Nelson
Traditional pencil, pen, and marker, 9 x 12 in.
In this surrealist self-portrait, I cast myself as my own hero, sustained by the restorative power of music. Inspired by Salvador Dalí’s surrealism and Jack Kirby’s bold comic storytelling, the piece depicts me in a state of focused calm. Vibrant, multi-colored headphone cords act as conduits for my internal world: a brain for cognition, hearts for emotional highs and lows, and thought bubbles for pure imagination.
Set against a pillow to ground the piece in my personal reality, the work uses a “rainbow splash” to symbolize the world of sound consuming me. By leaving my face uncolored, I shift the focus toward the surrounding mental landscape, illustrating that while I am my own hero, music is the force that truly saved me.
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Who am I without what makes me, me
Gianna Villavicencio
Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in.
In my self-portrait Who am I without what makes me, me, I combined my entire collection into a single painting. I represent my life as an artist, framed by the Philippine sun, sampaguitas, and tribal patterns. This piece unifies my portfolio, blending Art Nouveau influences and a warm-to-cool color palette that signify the passage of time—from the “sunrise” of my first work to this “sunset” conclusion. By integrating elements from previous projects, the painting serves as a reflection on my heritage, hobby, and identity.
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Pagpupo og Pruta
Gianna Villavicencio
Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.
In Pagpupo og Prutas (To Pick Fruits), I explore my Filipino-American identity through a portrait of my grandmother in her youth. Set against a backdrop of native Visayan flora—crepe jasmine and peace lilies—she holds a basket of mangoes, symbolizing her provincial childhood and the labor required to emigrate. Using a saturated oil palette inspired by Fernando Amorsolo and Maia Cruz Palileo, I painted with warm yellows and oranges to capture the intense Philippine sun. This piece serves as a visual narrative of heritage and a look into my roots.
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Buwaya
Gianna Villavicencio
Digital art, 21.33 x 28.46 in., 350 dpi
In Buwaya (Crocodile), I was inspired by the Art Nouveau elegance of Alphonse Mucha to bring awareness to Philippine government corruption. This digital work focuses on a figure in a crocodile mask—a metaphor for greed—sat on a throne of currency while ignoring those drowning in floodwaters. I included traditional batok (tribal) patterns of crocodile teeth and pythons to frame the piece, symbolizing both the predator and the people’s strength. Through contrasting elements like wilting sampaguitas and a hopeful dove, the artwork highlights the devastating impact of corruption while also urging courage and resilience to fight for what is right.
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Luency
Mary Uehara
11 x 17 in.
This self-portrait examines personal growth through the lens of optimism, illustrating how internal positivity reshapes one’s perception of the world. Created by scanning a textured colored-pencil drawing into Procreate, the piece merges traditional layering with digital manipulation. The background, a cloned and vibrantly adjusted texture from a reference photo, mirrors how a hopeful internal state can “brighten” external reality. By incorporating radiant leading lines that act as symbolic “rays of hope,” the composition draws focus to the subject while emphasizing a harmonious, luminous relationship between the self and the environment.