Most of my previous, individual works have centered around nature and pottery. With this portfolio, I decided to expand my abilities and explore creating human figures. I have always been interested in mythology, specifically Egyptian, Grecian, and Indian folklore. Additionally, some of my recent courses, Philosophy & World Religions and AP Psychology, inspired me to include an exploration of human nature in my portfolio. 

I decided to combine these two interests, human nature and ancient mythology, to create the guiding question of my portfolio: How do ancient cultures’ myths reveal universal aspects of human nature? I also had some guidelines for all of my pieces. For example,  as a lot of artwork and media is eurocentric, I made a specific focus to use myths and cultures from all over the world. I spent a lot of time researching folklore and traditions to accurately portray them. I also made several stylistic choices for my portfolio. My figures do not have faces in order to make them more generic-looking and representative of all people. I also painted them all gray to represent the morally ambiguous nature of mankind.

My pieces have very specific myths and meanings that might be hard to decipher just by observing them. Piece #1 depicts a Chinese myth of how some people, the nobles, were molded by the hand of a goddess, while the others, the peasants, were simply dragged up from the mud by a rope. This piece demonstrates how hierarchies and social ranks are an inherent part of society. Piece #2, Pandora opening a divine box of the evils of humanity, embodying both the curious nature of mankind and its potentially destructive consequences. Piece #3 shows the Eye of Ra’s escape from the Egyptian sun god Ra, and how mankind was born of her tears of desperation for freedom, and therefore share that same desire. Piece #4, the Nigerian story of how man’s sacrifice led to the birth of children and new life, portrays how all parents and the older generations sacrifice for the wellbeing of their successors. Piece #5 shows the Mayan belief of how humans adapted from creatures made of mud, to wood, to corn, and parallels the adaptive, evolved nature of all humans. 

Piece #6(not shown in physical display) depicts the Navajo story of how humans traveled through a world of dark sludge and ignorance, a world of war, and a war of desolation and flooding before arriving on Earth. The figure has persevered through dark sludge, wounds, and tears from their journey, but has found salvation and hope in their new world, which establishes the human capacity for intense determination and hope. Piece #7(not shown in the physical display) combines the Warao myth of sky people descending to the lush, plentiful ground and the Karaja myth of underground civilizations ascending to the bright, spacious surface to emphasize how humans are always seeking a better environment and situation.