Reflections Finalists 2021-2022 Visual Arts - High

When I started to think about how I would mane an actual change, what came to mind was raining awareness for global issues. I’ve always loved to paint, but lately I’ve been focusing more on what I want to convey through my art. In this painting, I reflect the way I am going to change the world by making a difference and raising awareness about social issues through my art. Whether it be about climate change, women empowerment, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, or poverty rates, I want my art to be a catalyst for change.

I will change the world be educating rural women across the globe. Due to various conditions, many women in villages don’t have access to education, despite their potential. Today we still see gender inequality and by educating women, we can change the way women are perceived. Women can be empowered to think global, along with personal aspirations. Women can explore the universe through different careers to make our world a better place. We have a great start in women’s empowerment; however, it still isn’t enough. One book for a child can change their and our world.

By becoming a computer science project designer and coordinator, I want to positively influence societies around the world with my unique ideas. Just like the butterfly effect in chaos theory, I will become a “butterfly” that will make large-scale contribution to the communities around the globe.

As an immigrant child, I want to change the world by providing representation for underserved immigrant communities. The paper, gavel, and justice system symbols in the background represent this long-term goal. But changing the world is quite an undertaking, so the primary subject of my painting shows how I can take little steps to help my community. For the past year I have volunteered with non-profits to help immigrants learn English. I wanted to illustrate an everyday volunteer session to show that something as mundane as joining a Zoom call to provide encouragement is one way to start changing the world.

When I looked at the theme “I will change the world by,” I thought of people like Greta Thunberg who impact the world through activism and protests. But through further thought, I realized that changing the world doesn’t have to occur at such an extreme scale. The kindness that we show towards strangers and the good things we do daily help make the world better a little bit at a time. I portrayed this using the image of a hand, full of hope, pulling the other out of the darkness, symbolizing how kindness can impact us.