Angel Lu Art&Writing Portfolio

2023 ART AND WRITING ARE THE WAYS OF MY EXPRESSION.

ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS

ANGEL LU JUN 22 2010

ART AND WRITING ARE THE WAYS OF MY EXPRESSION.

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS This art series explores several social issues that are prevalent worldwide, including technology, identity, and discrimination. My first artwork explores institutional racism, �which is prevalent even in places like neighborhoods. But to understand and eliminate systematic racism, we would need to explore what racism is.

Racism is one of the most prevalent problems plaguing our society. The hate and prejudice against an entire other race of people simply because of their skin color is a ludicrous idea but standard worldwide. Racism is just another form of discrimination or othering different people.

While othering is not intrinsically harmful and discriminatory, it breeds fear and paranoia, turning into hate. In the case of racism, believing that the perpetrator's race is superior gives a moral alibi for the atrocious acts people commit. Racism can take thousands of forms, many invisible.

It can be slurs, quips, apprehensive glances, and biased laws. However, of all types listed, systematic racism is the most hurtful and the hardest to eradicate. When the people in power, with influence, enact racism, it isn't just snide remarks and clutched purses.

Institutional racism has been going on since the founding of the United States. For example, during Segregation, morally corrupt lawmakers used the alibi of 'separate but equal' to promote laws that disfavor people of color. During slavery, black people legally only counted as a third of white people, rendering them unable to sue, file claims, or own property. Throughout years of strife and political manipulation, there has finally been some advancement in civil rights, a tremendous step forward from attitudes mere decades ago.

However, systematic racism persists. Institutionalized racism as the gap between white and African American workers' pay, the higher unemployment and poverty rates, and how people of color are almost three times more likely to be rejected for home loan applications than white citizens. It is the racism that lies hidden in the system and stereotypes that truly harm citizens because they are made to believe that the system is the last line of protection. When even the law discriminates, who protects and delivers justice?

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS For many, success is the ultimate goal of life and can always be achieved through hard work. However, the factors that determine success can be very biased.

Success is seemingly more challenging to achieve for minority groups. Whether based on race, gender, religion, or other factors, the minority always seems excluded and prevented from achieving their goals. This artwork presents the crosswalk as the road to success, and the miniature people represent different groups or people from different backgrounds. The tiny humans dressed in blue surround the red ones, leaving a large gap between them. This expresses the metaphorical gap between people of diverse backgrounds. Due to this gap, however, we can see that the 'roads' to success are blocked by the ones in blue, making them inaccessible to the red people.

This is an allegory of how those in the majority can often, purposely and inadvertently, prevent those in the minority from achieving success.

These instances can happen between various groups, with some of the most common including differences between race and gender. However, other issues, including socio-economic differences and lack of support for disabled and neuro-divergent people, are often ignored.

Those with a higher socio-economic status are often secured positions that those with lower status would work tenfold for. In fact, more than 44% in the lowest fifth S.E.S. category fail to enroll in post-secondary education as opposed to 7% in the highest fifth. This is caused by many factors, mainly an inability to afford tuition fees and a lack of support or assurance for students' goals. These problems are already solved for students with a higher S.E.S., giving them an innate advantage. Limited admission spots create an unduly economically homogeneous environment, barricading impoverished young adults from complete education and successful careers.

Another commonly overlooked group of individuals is the neuro-diverse in the disabled community. They face a lack of accessibility and understanding about their conditions by employers, educators, and lawmakers, many of which prevent them from achieving their full potential. For example, 15% of the world's population has some disability, while 90% of websites do not meet the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This can prevent such individuals from researching and understanding important information concerning laws, education, and more. Additionally, there are a myriad of physical barriers that prevent the disabled population from reaching their location. Taxi drivers can charge extra for wheelchair users, and many buildings fail to provide functioning wheelchair ramps or uncluttered tactile paving for the visually impaired.

However, while there has been an improvement in the regulations surrounding scholarship eligibility and accessibility internationally, there is still much room for improvement. The most critical factor of improvement is empathy because by doing so, those in power can raise their voices for the minority and construct a more accessible and diverse environment for them.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS

This illustration describes how technology can connect people inadvertently. The growing influence of technology on our community has been an ever-increasing discussion, with many touting it as damaging to our social fabric. However, I believe technology is an excellent tool that can teach those secluded about different cultures and experiences, spread vital information quickly, and provide a convenient connection for people.

The powers of current technology were put to the test during COVID-19. While it contributed to the rapid spread of false information about conditions, it also provided a relatively accurate source of education about what to do. Technology also allowed students worldwide to continue their education online and companies to continue working with applications like Zoom and Tencent Meeting. Government sites and other helpful institutions provided reliable education on protecting oneself from COVID, drastically improving citizens' knowledge about the topic when it was hard to find online education.

Online libraries and resources are among the best, yet commonly ignored, contributions technology has made. Before such websites, it was difficult and inconvenient to physically search for help and books, especially for those who live in less populated areas or are looking for rare texts. However, due to the utilization of data by museums and institutions, the average high-schooler with a computer can study many ancient documents. This can further help progress the understanding of esoteric topics and broaden the current spectrum of knowledge.

Our current technology, such as social media, phones, and online databases, was created with accessibility and connection in mind, and only by accepting these ubiquitous resources can we exploit them to their fullest extent. �

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS

"In a world where everybody is unique, nobody is" is a view on the idea that everybody is different. However, nobody has the same life experiences, and they will all affect a person's personality. For example, a Black girl living in New York City would have completely different ideas and outlooks than an Indonesian man in his 50s. However, there are often animosities between other groups of people due to a lack of awareness about different experiences and a lack of empathy.

My illustration is discussing this problem by illustrating a world without said strife. In this marker and ink illustration, I want to represent how everybody is different, and only by feeling empathy and connecting with others can we achieve a better world. I try to be as diverse as possible in the image, showing people of different religions, genders, sexualities, and ages. Despite their differences, they enjoy their current company and interact positively.

This artwork is a positive and ideal environment we should all strive to be in. A diverse and healthy environment can drastically lower the risks of mental health issues, �social strife, and other harmful factors while increasing awareness, equality, and positive ideas. This will then produce a healthier and more open-minded group of young adults.

Though a complete utopia cannot be built, we can get infinitely close by uplifting minorities, embracing differences, promoting community, and facilitating connections.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS One of society's biggest problems, and continues

However, it isn't just body size that contributes to the

to face, is the double standards and judgment

unprecedented amounts of stress women face daily

towards women. This can range from subtle com-

because of physical appearance; other beauty stan-

ments about weight to encouraging women to get

dards worsen the matter. Common examples include

plastic surgery. These micro-aggressions and

pale skin in Asia, double eyelids, and thick lips are

constant toxic reminders about the beauty stan-

some of the most common. When young girls are

dard can hurt women worldwide physically and

constantly barraged with media promoting diet sup-

mentally.

pressors and skin-bleaching products, they will believe they are precisely what they need to look, be

Body size is one of the most significant beauty

pretty, and belong. However, many of these so-called

standards women strive for daily. All around the

solutions are harmful and unhealthy for growing

world, in many different cultures, being thin is con-

teens. There are also D.I.Y. remedies and solutions

sidered desirable and beautiful; it is often touted as

to these problems constantly spreading on social

healthy, fit, and confident, but it can lead to the op-

media sites. For example, the 'Kylie Jenner Lip Chal-

posite. The constant desire to be thin fosters body

lenge' led to severe results; one girl who attempted

dysmorphia and many eating disorders. This

this was hospitalized, and countless others had

change was influenced by many forces, from

long-term bruising and damaged lips. Many of these

shrinking clothing sizes to touting the effects

challenges also use a humorous tone to appeal to

achieved by plastic surgery as natural. However,

younger audiences, many of whom are teen girls.

body size doesn't just mean thin to our society; women must be curvy and have a slim waist. They

In the end, however, not beauty standards are the

have to have a dramatic hourglass figure but also

problem. It is how we and others react. After all, we

be thin. These unreachable ideas of beauty and

control the standards, and the only way to stop it is by

constant pressure from family, friends, and media

refusing to allow such unhealthy ideas to persist.

create the perfect breeding ground for body dys-

Beauty rests within the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps

morphia and other types of mental and physical

we should realize the ultimate beholder is us and that

harm.

we hold the power.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS This marker illustration shows a person's feeling of being excluded in a community. It raises questions about diverse environments and how exclusion can impact society.

A community is one of the most significant contributors to a person being involved and treated equally. When somebody is being excluded from the community, it can lead to unfair laws and a lack of diversity. When a society does not accept new or different members, it can even cause rifts between other groups, leading to violence and animosity.

The easiest way to avoid such acts is listening to disregarded members and making changes to accommodate all members. By creating a community that can include all members of society, we can create a world with more understanding and accessibility.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS ＂This ink, marker, and colored pencil illustration tell the Chinese creation story. The left section of the artwork depicts a half-serpent woman reaching down from the heavens with a clump of clay in her hands, which gradually turns into hundreds upon thousands of minuscule people. In this story, the half-human half-serpent goddess Nüwa was lonely, so she created humans using yellow mud (clay in some versions). Several other legends surround her, such as Nüwa patching up the sky, but they are not represented here. This is the story of the White Snake Demon. The right part of the illustration depicts a serpentine woman with sea foam green skin and a speckled white snake facing a barrage of water and waves. She is a demon that has the original shape of a white snake. However, she has shapeshifting abilities allowing her to become an otherworldly woman. She fell in love with a human, much against the protest of a monk named Fahai, who sees through her appearance. Fahai tries to separate the couple by improving her lover, but she floods the temples. The flooding of the temple is illustrated here, with the river water saffron like the shade of traditional Buddhist monk robes. A common motif in both parts is traditional Chinese runes and pictographs: they date back to more than 2000 B.C., and many modern Chinese characters are based on them. These two legends are chosen out of many because of their standard themes of change, love, loneliness, and similar serpentine protagonists. "

Award information： Graines d’artistes du monde entier The 30 best painings of the contest in France (Host by UNESCO,The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) 2023.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS Award information： 2023 Spring Celebrating Art competition Publishing List and High Merit Winner.

The gold medal winner of New Jersey, The Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023 ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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ART AND WRITING ARE ARE THR THE WAYS WAYS OF OF MY MY EXPERSSION. EXPRESSION.

ART PORTFOLIO ANGEL LU WORKS

Award information： 2022 Winter Celebrating Art Competition Publishing List.

ANGEL LU WORKS 2022-2023

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