Family

For my final self- portrait I chose to draw a picture of my mom and I when we were on vacation in Alaska. Instead of changing my art style like I did for the midterm I used my personal art style. I started watching anime during grade school and I believe that being an anime fan is a personality trait. When I was in eighth grade I skipped school to watch anime because I used to get bullied. Watching and reading anime/manga was a way for me to have fun, I didn’t really have many friends. The reason I chose to include my mother in my self portrait is because she is very important to me. She supports me unconditionally. This past year has been very stressful for me, my mom is always there for me. Susan Sontag said, “Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood.”. The reason I chose to draw this specific picture is because it perfectly portrayed how fun we were having during this picture. In the beginning I was contemplating whether or not I did enough. I believe that the two important things in my portrait are my drawing style and the fact my mother is included. I was inspired by Kehinde Wiley while making my portrait. I draw to help me concentrate. It is also an outlet. Sherman say’s that people believe in pictures even though they are fake. People usually believe in what they are told which makes us gullible in some ways. Sherman describes pictures as being lies. All of her pictures are her alter egos. She makes pictures that are up for interpretation. People respond to her art in different ways. My mom and I have a complicated relationship, like all mothers and daughters we fight. Our relationship is not always perfect. My portrait shows that I am a woman, daughter, and an artist.

I know my mom will always support my decisions. By drawing anime it shows who I am and what I am interested in. When I changed my drawing style to represent Jean Basquiat I don’t think it represented me as a person. I would describe my portrait as a drawing, I didn’t collage like I did for my midterm self portrait.  personally did not share very interesting information about myself. For my midterm I told the class I played soccer, my age, that I live in the dorms, and what high school I attended. I didn’t share the fact that I am adopted. My mom went to China and adopted me when I was a few months old. I have an older sister who is also adopted from China. In high school I thought that I was going to play basketball in college, however, it became evident that it was going to be easier for me to get recruited for soccer. Although I got offers for both sports I chose soccer because of the education I would be getting. I have been playing soccer for 15 years and I have been playing travel basketball since 7th grade. So while sports are important to me, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my mother supporting me and literally adopting me.