ARTIST STATEMENT
Raising Critical Thinking Through Real and Surreal
People’s routines, addictions, and technology have decreased their thinking process, management of feelings, and connection with their surroundings. As an artist, my goal is to awaken viewers’ critical thinking with the help of nature through a real and surreal perspective. I want my art to reach people from different backgrounds because the development of this skill can give everyone a chance to change.
My concentration is in graphic design, but I am also interested in other media, such as photographs, illustrations, and sculptures. Illustrations and sculptures are the basis of my work because of the ability to have a direct contact with the materials instead of being separated by a screen. This clears my mind, lets my creativity flow, and allows me to connect with my art. I use color, charcoal, markers, and ink for my drawings and wood, metal, and plaster for sculptures. After a drawing or a sculpture is done, the final digital process starts.
Through my photographs, I show different feelings that are caused by interactions between people, animals, plants, places, and objects. By capturing these moments, the photos will express the emotional reactions of the subjects. For example, a person reacting to a calm forest with a smile, or sadness because of an animal in the rain. Ultimately, my photos intend to raise awareness about the importance of feelings and to question how they are handled.
My graphic design takes a more surreal approach by using photographs with a mix of typography, subjects, and visuals. This art contains metaphors to show the relationship between humans and nature that explain the importance of human actions. For example, if I created a poster on the reduction of pollution, a combination of a pair of lungs with trees shaded with bright and dark colors can give an illusion of sickness and healthy lungs. This will create awareness in viewers about improving air quality.
Critical thinking is the action of deconstructing information and thinking about it rationally to reach one's conclusions. My art brings this skill to the forefront of viewers' minds. I aspire that people use this ability in their daily lives and not just accept and receive everything as it comes without questioning it.