Artist Statement:
In this project, I had a hard time figuring out who my persona was going to be. There were many different approaches I could have went, but I decided to hit more on symbols that created a meaning for my character rather than what her attributes were. I created an empress/queen-like person who hides behind the matter of responsibilities. She is still young and trying to figure out the ways of life, but she also has to leave that early childhood life behind. Having to balance both her innocent youth with the reality of the grown up world, she hides behind her mask to block her facial emotions from the world to see her weakness of doubt and uncertainty. I wanted to incorporate the phoenix and falling cherry blossoms as a symbol for her because no matter how much she falls and makes mistakes (since she’s still a kid), she will rise to become an even stronger person that she was prior, leaving her youth behind.