Esh Tsai Art Portfolio

Psyche Map

2025

14" x 12.5"

Krita, Adobe Illustrator

Concept & Citations

When given the prompt of a self-portrait for a leadership application, I decided to create a piece that was more than purely representational. I am shaped by my life experiences and thus constantly evolving as I live. I found this description similar to an environment, whose features are shaped by nature. So I designed a small landscape with features informed by my traits and values. For instance, the library of learning, which appears constructed from books, is fueled by the waterfall of creativity. As someone who appreciates color, the map utilizes a wide range of springtime hues, symbolizing growth and potential. This map invites the viewer to explore my psyche, and thus understand my perception of the world.

Process

After brainstorming traits, I assigned each a corresponding landscape feature and designed the landscape. First I sketched the map, then transferred it to Krita to paint it digitally. The landscape is rendered in soft layers of visible brushstrokes, as if emerging from a dream, relating to the concept of the mind.

After painting, I used Illustrator to arrange the text in a manner that would guide the viewer around the map. I decided to include a realistic representational painting of myself at the beginning of the piece, representing how prompted by the question of my identity, I began to sink into deep thought.