University of Redlands
These 3 panels of an 11-panel series make up the first chapter of my story, "The Girl Under the Moon". This is a story of loss, the loss of innocence and self. Ami, our main character, is raised up into this life of servitude of subjugation. Her sense of self is stripped away, and her identity becomes a distant memory. These vile creatures that plague her existence own her both in body and in mind. Ami represents the dim light that shrines through in the darkest of nights. Her journey will be one of pain, suffering, agony and burden, but through finding her own light she reclaims that which was taken.
ARTIST STATEMENT
For me, art has always been about telling a story. I work diligently in my craft to create characters and settings that could resonate with a broad audience. I attribute this narrative driven style to art to the cartoons and movies I grew up watching and imitating with my art. I was always so enthralled with a fun character design or intriguing lore within a story. Much of my work now focuses on character design and visual storytelling through my anime influenced, illustrative style. I take great care in developing works that feel both like isolated ideas but could also be interpreted into larger, more grandiose tales. This narrative encapsulates all these ideals into a single story about how a single soul amidst a sea of darkness can break through that veil to shine greater than any moon or star. Ami represents a hero but is someone who has bene subjected to never-ending turmoil, pain, and abuse. Her light is dim at first, but through the acceptance of herself and her realization that her identity cannot and should not be defined by anyone but herself. She overcomes these tribulations and learns that her life matters and can become a beacon of hope for those also suffocated by the evils of their lives.
