Welding & Fabrication

Internal

The small intestine inspired this piece, but the original shape has been heavily abstracted. I picked a part of my body not easily seen, not given much thought, not given much form, even within one's imagination. I picked an organ twisted deep inside with more layers, more length, more susceptibility.

This piece is made of metal and acrylic acetate used to resemble stained glass. Glass is harsh, cutting, and damaging. Flesh cannot handle it without taking damage. Similar to the turmoil we all must face throughout our lives, demanding situations yield damage that takes more than time to heal. Nevertheless, through processing the new reality and accepting your limitations, something beautiful can come out of it.

A few years back, I received a heavy amount of intestinal damage, and I could not continue my education. This resulted in moving across the country from New York City back home to California. It felt like I had lost a battle within myself, and the price to pay was radically changing the entire trajectory of my life. I was embarrassed by how carelessly unaware I was of my internal self and easily isolated myself with the help of quarantine. It took a long time to fully recover and longer to understand what I had lost.

This piece is about me accepting the cards I've been dealt, even when I pull a terrible hand or when I'm disappointed in the limitations of my own self. The metal is stretched into an embrace that can be stood within as a gesture of transparency and acceptance. I teach myself to be more patient, to be kind, and to stop pushing to the point of failure. To give myself space to not be so wound up in a mass but to stretch out. To accept my damages as beautiful and filled with life and story instead of something to be ashamed of and worth hiding away.

Lighting Bug

This simple project was a fun experiment and learning experience with metal fabrication, and I'm pretty happy with how this little bug came out.