BFA Application Project

 

12x24 Mixed Media on Canvas
(newspaper, acrylic paint, fabric, embroidery floss, matte medium)
"Work Is Hard"

Artist Statement:

For my BFA submission, I created a mixed media collage portrait that weaves together fragments of my personal and collective history. I was drawn to this medium because it allows me to layer different parts of my life into a single visual story. The collage incorporates real newspaper clippings—many of which are actual articles about the working and middle class. One clipping even features a photograph of my grandparents standing inside their flower shop, a detail that felt deeply important to include. These elements, combined with fabric and acrylic paint, create a textured portrait of identity—one that reflects how life itself is built from layers of memory, labor, and resilience.

In this piece, the materials carry their own histories: stories of work, struggle, and community. Together, they mirror how my own sense of self has been shaped—through my family’s working-class background, faith, and the many communities I’ve been part of. The phrase “WORK IS HARD” sits boldly within the collage as both a literal statement and a metaphor. It speaks to the daily tension between dreams and responsibilities, to the exhaustion of building a meaningful life while still holding onto hope and purpose.

Art has always been the place where I feel most honest. While faith and music are constant presences in my life, visual art is where I can combine thoughtfulness, laughter, and vulnerability in a way that feels complete. Each piece I make—whether through painting, collage, or drawing—becomes a release of whatever I’ve been carrying: stress, uncertainty, joy. My work often balances heaviness with humor, because that’s how I’ve learned to live—struggling, but never losing lightness or hope.