"The Insecurity Project"I was working through some personal insecurities and I wanted to face them head on. I looked in the mirror and was completely honest with myself regarding the positives and the areas of improvement on my body. I then decided to put in the work that was required to complete this difficult task. Once it was completed, I felt relieved and as a result, I was internally happy. I wanted others to feel happy too, especially women.
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I reached out to 100 Pacific Island women and asked them this question, "What are the most common insecurities found among Pacific Island women?" My intentions for asking this question was to get discussions going because this topic is often brushed underneath the rug in Pacific Island communities and cultures. I asked women from Fiji, Tonga, California, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Utah, Arizona, Australia, Niue, Vanuatu, Alabama, Florida and Texas and I received pages and messages of these "insecurities". I compiled all of these pages to one page with about 25 top insecurities and I decided to paint it on a dress and wear it for the photo shoot of the art event. I wanted our women to see that these insecurities are actually universal and common. This brought feelings of hope because we as women are not alone and can overcome it, when we work together. I then worked together with some of my friends to host an event called "Through the Fire" at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah and it was a success!
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Behind the Scenes
"Marley's Mural"
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A little girl named “Marley” stole my heart! She became an inspiration behind one of my projects. I was given an opportunity to paint an indoor mural as a part of the "To Be Spacific" Art Gallery at Impact Hub in downtown Salt Lake City. I turned it into a community engaged art project. I wanted to give members of the community an opportunity to help me paint the mural and to be a part of the rich experience. The mural shows Marley adjusting her crown while standing in front of thousands of supporters. Supporters from overseas and in the U.S. expressing their love and support for her and her family during a difficult time. The mural is dedicated to anyone who is affected by domestic violence.
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Caring people from the community came to help paint “Marley’s Mural” a week prior to the opening night of the “To Be Spacific” Art Gallery. Countless hours and helping hands made this community-engaged art project a success! |
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''To be Spacific" Art Galley
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The inspiration behind this Art Gallery stemmed from a conversation that I had with my sister. My sister has a passion for dancing, like how I have a passion for art! Chasing a passion has its ups and downs and I could see that she was experiencing the “not so pleasant” part of working towards a goal. Frustrated by the challenge, I decided to challenge myself a bit as well. I stepped out of my comfort zone and hosted my first art gallery in a public space. With the help of my artistic friends and relatives, we all worked together to make it happen. I decided to dedicate this art gallery to her, in hopes that it would reassure her that she is loved & her hard work will pay off one day. |
"To be Spacific" Art Gallery on camera.
