My name is Vivian Ming and I am a senior at Pacific Grove High School taking AP 2D Art & Design with Mr. Kelly. I have loved making art since an early age, and I make art to express my deepest thoughts and ideas about life and my experiences. My goal as an artist is to develop my style to convey both more abstract concepts and personal themes effectively. I enjoy using art to illustrate these ideas because I feel that sometimes the piece is more impactful than what can be said in words.

I enjoy painting the most, and my medium of choice is acrylic paint, as I have used it my entire life and I have the most experience with it. I also love using ink pens because they allow me to create very methodical and detailed pieces. I like to create very detailed pieces, and I think that is a hallmark of my work. My favorite subjects to paint and draw are definitely hands. My sustained investigation is about expressing life and ideas through hands, so I try to find creative ways to depict hands that are cohesive with my piece. Another one of my favorite topics is my culture, and showing my identity as a Chinese American, and I think that is reflected in my work.

My piece is called “A Brilliant, Billion of Stars,” and is a homage to the women of the world. The figure’s face is covered by the two hands, casting a shadow across her face and blocking her view, a representation of how many women have their opportunities and potential blocked from them. Her face is ambivalent, seeking to peek through the spaces in the hands to the universe outside, yet still unsure of the existence of the sky. However, just beyond the hands is a bright and brilliant galaxy, full of billions of stars, representative of each woman, shining bright. Though many people and forces may try to prevent women from forging their own path, they still shine as brilliantly as stars, as never-ending wells of  potential and trailblazing a hopeful future for those to come.