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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Broken Glass" by Yoomin Bae

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Broken Glass" by Yoomin Bae

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Broken glass, which is delicate, sharp, and thought to be something painful, represents my insecurities in my poem. In the same way that broken glass can be put together to form a mosaic, I've come to accept my flaws as something that can be made beautiful. Every fracture and imperfection holds beauty and is an essential component of who I am. In this poem, I wanted to reflect on my journey of self-acceptance and discovering strength in my insecurities.

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Spilled Ink" by Sviatoslav Chalenko

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Spilled Ink" by Sviatoslav Chalenko

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The droplets of spilled ink around the pen showcase the complexity of accepting imperfection. One would want to get rid of the spill and clean it up, yet the ink is beautiful when left spilled. The spilled ink symbolizes the imperfections in our life. No matter where one looks, there will be imperfections. The photo shows how if we keep our imperfections around, our droplets of spilled ink, they can be beautiful. Not everything in life is about having a perfect backdrop, spilled ink adds character. Imperfections add character.

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Spilled Ink PTA Reflections - Sviatoslav Chalenko.jpg

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "The Keys" by Angel Wang

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "The Keys" by Angel Wang

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16x20 acrylic paint on canvas

As someone who has been playing piano since childhood, I had to first learn the keys on the piano. Later, I had to learn the keys to success: technique, persistence, and perfection. Slowly, playing the piano became less of a hobby and more of a pressure. I kept trying to play everything perfectly but was missing the key, which was passion. Until a friend in a sunflower shirt told me that I should play from my heart. This piece is dedicated to my younger self to remind myself to not drown in perfection.

link is here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bMwlqu9J4C0f8z6V-rn0BiA5UA2qUbKo

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Imperfectly Perfect" by Alexandra Wilner 

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Imperfectly Perfect" by Alexandra Wilner 

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My work is a narrative piece that details how I overcame insecurities about my ethnically Jewish features. I had believed that my arched nose was an "imperfection", but a journey of self-reflection & realization led me to eventually appreciate it.

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Imperfectly Perfect - Alexandra Wilner.pdf

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Rips and Flaws" by Zoe Carlson 

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Rips and Flaws" by Zoe Carlson 

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We all go through life with little rips, or imperfections. However, just like this plant, we learn to grow with them. The pot too, has its scars. Yet it holds and supports the plant regardless. I used a black background and ample lighting to better showcase this, so that there's nowhere to hide my subject's beautiful faults. The dark backdrop also causes the pot to gradually fade away, symbolizing how easy it is to overlook the flaws that shape who we are.

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Fair skin, small nose, big eyes: The perfect face. Good grades, respectful, honors family: The perfect kid. Asian culture has an obsession with perfection; anything outside of “perfect” is automatically invaluable. Yet, that’s not true. Having bad grades doesn’t bring shame to your family. Having dark skin doesn’t make you ugly. In rubbing off your white makeup, in rejecting the idea of perfection equaling value, we not only accept, but embrace imperfection in owning what Asian culture deems invaluable.

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🥉 Award of Merit: "Judgement" by Emi Hahn

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🥉 Award of Merit: "Judgement" by Emi Hahn

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16in x 20.5 in. Acrylic on canvas for most of it, digitally drawn over using Adobe Fresco.

First addressing what society (religion in this case) would deem to be imperfect, seeing gay as a flaw. Accepting Imperfection for me was a person being able to embrace their identity despite outer forces projecting their own harmful views onto others. Religion shouldn’t be an excuse to hate others, if anything, it should act as a motivation to treat everyone with the same kindness which you would want to receive yourself. I felt that accepting imperfections does not have to mean outer “flaws” but identities that stray from societal standards.

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🥉 Award of Merit:  "As the Paint Peels" by Avery Yu

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🥉 Award of Merit:  "As the Paint Peels" by Avery Yu

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This poem explores the theme of embracing flaws through the voices of a matured wall and its peeling paint. Each crack and blemish serves as a reminder that we are shaped by time and our experiences. The wall's resilience and the paint's vulnerability illuminate the presence of a beauty that lies beneath the surface. By fusing their stories together, this poem emphasizes the importance of accepting imperfections, as recognizing the potential within flaws is what fosters growth and self-discovery.

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🥉 Award of Merit: "Accepting imperfection in the Circle of Life" by Chloe Ng 

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🥉 Award of Merit: "Accepting imperfection in the Circle of Life" by Chloe Ng 

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Hornworms as depicted in the picture, are destroyers of tomato plants. Though they may seem like pests, they actually serve a purpose for the environment. Paper wasps eat them and these wasps get eaten by raccoons, badgers, bears, dragonflies, and so goes the circle life. Although it destroys our tomato crops by eating them and making them imperfect, they are needed. Without these hornworms, other species will not survive and the circle of life will not be maintained.

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Honorable Mention: "Pardon My Penmanship" by Sarah Portet 🏅

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Honorable Mention: "Pardon My Penmanship" by Sarah Portet 🏅

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12 x 15

Whether we’re authors, poets, or everyday people, humans have a tendency to apologize for our less than perfect handwriting. We feel obligated to condemn our “chicken scratch,” as if its illegibility could undermine the weight of our words. Today, handwritten letters are an anomaly, and they might soon be replaced altogether by impersonal uniform fonts. My artwork displays excerpts from letter archives of writers and public figures and explored this common motif where writers apologize for their “scrawl.” I created this in hopes to praise the imperfection and beauty of human penmanship and the lost art of letter writing.

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Honorable Mention: "My Grandmother" by Sydney Park 🏅

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Honorable Mention: "My Grandmother" by Sydney Park 🏅

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9x12 graphite pencil

My drawing of my 95-year-old grandmother, done in graphite pencil, focuses on her wrinkles and aging features to capture her true essence. Instead of smoothing out imperfections, I highlighted them, showing how each line tells a chapter of her life story. This connects to the theme of 'Accepting Imperfection,' as it reflects the belief that flaws aren't something to hide but to embrace, revealing the unique beauty and strength in each person.

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Sydney Park - My Grandmother - Sydney Park.jpg

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Sarah Varghese  Reflection 2024 - Sarah Varghese.mp4

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(Accesible Arts Division) The work uses worms and butterflies to allude to the feeling of body imperfection experienced by human, and how ultimately we all need to accept these imperfections for they are what makes one human.

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A creature of loneliness stands on the edge of oblivion. After creating the earth, he longs to experience life. To feel a true breath of air fill his empty lungs. But fear holds him back. Fear of what his creation has become, for all he can see when he looks into the gentle orb are the darkest parts of it. Sickness, loss,, pain, death, war, all the inescapable things that plague humanity year after year. This creator must learn to accept the brutality of life and learn to fight for the parts of life that make it worth living.

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My Reflections is a narrative poem about my experience of being a high schooler. I start with freshman year, describing a time where I felt so confident in myself, but as I age, insecurities begin to pile up. I feel distraught as a junior, but the ending reflects changes I have undergone lately of gaining so many supporters that accept my every beauty and flaw. This poem relates to the theme of accepting imperfection since it is my story of how I am able to become one with my good and bad sides, and still love myself in the end

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My Reflections (Elise I. Lee) - Elise Lee.pdf

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The poem, “Moonglade” reveals how the moon (“Luna”), struggles finding her value. She cowards from the Sun’s luminance and fails to discover her worth. Through her imperfections, a far more significant relationship is unearthed. It is only as dawn approaches that it is revealed the raw beauty of her flaw as well as the companion she finds.“Moonglade” is defined as “the bright reflection of moonlight on a body of water.”

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Honest Mistakes" by Aarna Veera

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🥇 Award of Excellence: "Honest Mistakes" by Aarna Veera

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Relationships often start with fantasy, but then struggle to fully accept both the flaws and the beauty within. "Honest Mistakes" explores moments when we try to change aspects of people in our lives instead of truly seeing them. This song reminds us that love is about embracing each other’s true selves, not trying to fit them into a mold. Drawing from my own experiences and those I've lived through vicariously, this song explores how real understanding comes from accepting both the beautiful and messy parts of who we are. It’s about celebrating honest mistakes, being original.

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Self Reflection" by Nathan Soeng 

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🥈 Award of Merit: "Self Reflection" by Nathan Soeng 

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My composition demonstrates the idea of looking within yourself and accepting yourself and your flaws. Each section of the piece represents a different part of embracing yourself: the imperfections, possible criticism, and finally acceptance and being happy with yourself.

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Nathan Soeng - Self Reflection - Nathan Soeng.mp3

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Life doesn’t always go as planned. It’s filled with unexpected twists and turns, but that’s what makes it beautiful. My photo showcases a tree that has fallen into the path of a river. Although it may seem like the log has disturbed the path of the water, the river still flows and continues with its journey. The way that it changes course to adapt to this new obstacle shows its resiliency. Accepting imperfection means seeing the beauty in the “negatives” in life. We learn and grow, coming out stronger in the end.

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Life Ain't always beautiful & photography catches life's beautiful disasters in such a unique beautiful way.

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In this photo, there is a singular white flower among the other, yellow flowers. This white flower is different, and while the lighter color might seem weird at first, it may in fact not make any difference to its survival rate. To any bee, this white flower is just as sweet as the others. This is just one of many examples of the acceptance of imperfection in nature.

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One often looks at nature in awe thinking how is it possible that something so beautiful and perfect surrounds us? We look and we gasp. Wow! Pure perfection! But then we look closer and we see reality…a tilted flower, a sun sitting on top of a fog bank, and colors fading away. In our “perfect” nature picture, we see imperfection and reality colliding with our perceived notion of perfection. We learn perfection is an unattainable myth and must learn to accept that even what we think is perfect is imperfect. Only then, can we accept our own imperfections.

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This piece captures a bright flower growing from the cracks of a sidewalk with the intent to depict how beauty can quite literally stem from faults. If not for the chasms in the ground, the flower would have never been able to emerge and flourish as it did. This image serves as a poignant reminder of how growth can find a way even in the harshest of conditions. Thus, these elements allude to the idea that imperfections allow for new beginnings and a life even more marvelous than the last.

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🥇 Award of Excellence, Accessible Arts Division: "This IS Me" by Madysen Fleck

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🥇 Award of Excellence, Accessible Arts Division: "This IS Me" by Madysen Fleck

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Accessible Arts Division - (División de arte accesible)

My reflections project of accepting imperfections is all about this is me. A lot of people have imperfection and if there were not in this world everybody will be sad, and nobody will accept anyone in this world if the imperfection people won't be here. Everybody had imperfections taking your imperfection and accepting it can make anybody and everybody stronger and the world a much better place.

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Reflection Madysen Fleck - Stephanie Fleck.pdf

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I created this piece to celebrate this “gray area” that authors and artists try to avoid. Creators sometimes design characters they can project attributes that collaborate into their “perfect” character. Often these perfect attributes without contrasting flaws, come together to create designs that start to crack, falling apart into imperfect characters. When the creator can accept imperfection and add it into their creations, they can create characters that embody attributes more balancedly. I expressed this in my art by characters’ physical appearances cracking as they fall around their creator, who is continuing to try and create their perfect character.

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17.5 inches x 11.5 inches. Watercolor and alcohol markers

If we find nature so beautiful and perfect, then why can we embrace our imperfections because people are part of nature too. We always see imperfections, but that's what makes us so unique. Yet we never say that a small wrinkle in a flower is imperfect, we think contrary. So let's make the world better by embracing our imperfections as amazing works of nature.

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18 x 11 Phone camera, face paint, acrylic paint, origami paper, silk flowers, string, markers, newspaper.

My work embraces imperfection from the viewpoint of a relationship; friendship, family, romantic, etc. In relationships, it is important to embrace the person for who they are. People will have differences in opinions, habits and preferences. No one is perfect. By appreciating these differences only then can we truly understand what love is. Both girls are different but see each other’s true colors. They may think they are broken like a record or different, which is expressed through their face paint, but they are able to be themselves around each other and that’s love. Accepting who they are.

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2d

I chose to create this piece because I believe it represents how imperfection is present in nature, religion, and valuable to grow. The materials I used were gouache paints and acrylic. I wanted to focus more of the nature aspect because our perspective of imperfection of ourselves can be blurred. I also created this piece in the shape of a teapot because I was inspired by kintsugi the art of broken pottery repaired by gold. Kintsugi highlights the beauty of imperfection and states why the different piece of imperfection are beautiful.

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19” x 14”, Graphite Pencil ranging 6B-2H

My artwork depicts a mass of eyes embedded in a bodily mass hovering above clouds and the edge of a cliff. The eyes look all around with the center looking down towards a buried sword. The monster represents the paradox of being involved in many different commitments while having the expectation of being perfect in all of them. This is impossible, and that is okay, hence the lack of destruction in the environment of the drawing and the sword being buried. To accept that this is impossible, one learns to find more peace.

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11 x 14 Acrylic

This painting represents two living things, a person and a horse, walking towards the lighter places in life and leaving the darker places. They both have missing limbs, replaced with orange prosthetics, representing limb awareness. To accept imperfection, is to accept living. Horses most of the time do not have a choice, they get put down in many cases. Whereas, this is not the case with people. People have the choice of staying in the dark, feeling like a burden, or, to go out and overcome their imperfect circumstances. To overcome is to accept, to grow, to embrace the light.

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Acrylic, markers, watercolor, crayon, oil pastels, chalk, pen, and pencil

My work represents ideal proportions surrounded by media influencers. I am projecting my own emotions onto this painting. I want it to be mesmerizing and confusing to send the message of cognitive dissonance, is this the way I feel? or is this the way that others have told me to feel? Are my feelings about myself and my beauty authentic or is it contrived by someone else's standard? Accepting imperfection means that we need to have an awareness of how others can manipulate our perception of ourselves

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16 x 20, acrylic

The idea of the drawing is to show one self calling to the other self. While we want to achieve the idealized version of ourselves who is flawless. The real way to accept our imperfections is to embrace the flaws and vulnerabilities of one self. The two people in the drawing is used to show the person we hope to be and the person we are. I hope to emphasize the self acceptance message by showing there is no difference between the two. We are exactly who we are meant to be.

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38 in x 36 in x 17 in, acrylic on canvas, wire, trash

If we reconsider our approach to waste disposal, can it make us more mindful of our actions? Inspired by Mr. Goby and Friends in Belize, my artwork highlights the often overlooked impact of trash. Using wire sculptures shaped like marine animals as trash cans, their transparency reveals the volume of waste we generate while adding character to the beaches. I aim to inspire other beaches to adopt this method, promoting environmental preservation by visibly showcasing the trash we produce, encouraging visitors to be more conscious of their environmental footprint.

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18x12

Embracing imperfection often means realizing how our imperfections make us better. My image is a collection of objects that are old and broken, things considered imperfect. However, these imperfections are what allow them to become a home to something even better. Now beautiful wild flowers are growing out of all their flaws, something that wouldn’t be possible if they hadn’t been tossed aside in the first place. For the objects I wanted to focus a lot on old technology because today technology is often what convinces us of our imperfections, but technology has imperfections of its own.

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14.9x15.1

It’s hard to understand what imperfection is, it seems like an infinite amount of ideas, imperfection to me is like humans, nature, even the way you draw. My artwork shows how lazy I actually am but trying to make things perfect. The middle section shows that neatness I try to show to society to fit in or, something to be approved of. The second and third layers show the laziness in me, just my hand and mind doing its own thing having no second thoughts, I think the way I left some sketches, and random colors show my imperfection.

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14.5 x 17.5 , construction paper, magazine cut outs, images of flowers, along with colored paper.

I incorporated a combination of photo realistic flowers, and hand made flowers. I focused on using an earth pallet and one that involves skin tones. Many are self-conscious about what they perceive as imperfection, when these are what make us unique and should be embraced. Sometimes what you think of as an imperfection, someone else sees as a sign of beauty. I used collage and flowers to symbolize the acceptance of imperfection, by incorporating skin tones into flower petals as a visual and textural element. I included images of skin disorders (vitiligo and psoriasis) and consistent skin tones as resources to bring together the beauty we all share.

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12 in by 12 in. Watercolor and acrylic

My room is where I spend most of my day and it’s also where I struggle the most with accepting imperfection. Isolation makes it hard to break through the cycle of compulsions. The painting is my interpretation of when my family walk in my room while I’m having an OCD episode. The repeated silhouettes represents my compulsions, the branches represent the compulsive thoughts. The reflection of my own eyes in the window represent OCD itself. The half curtain represents my ability to deal with OCD, I can try to suppress it but I can’t completely hide it.

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12 x 18

We often wait for perfect opportunities but that tends to cause endless procrastination with no progress. Hannibal said “I shall either find a way or make one.” I think it’s important to embrace the imperfect opportunities life presents us with, as sacrifice accompanies most chances. My piece depicts Hannibal crossing the Alps. This was a risk. An imperfect opportunity. Crossing caused him to lose a large part of his army. However, accepting this trade off rather than waiting for the “perfect” opportunity allowed him to win many upset victories against the Roman Empire.

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8*4*12 Clay

We often shoot down our ideas, calling them stupid and searching for the perfect solution. However it is important to genuinely consider your options even if an idea is imperfect. Opening up to imperfect solutions can create innovative ways to solve problems and even when they don’t, having an open mind helps to come up with better ideas in the future. My piece depicts someone allowing their creativity to flow freely without judgments. They are accepting and considering their ideas genuinely, no matter how imperfect they seem.

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15 7/8''-20'' acrylic on canvas

Telling by the materials I used, I emphasized color heavily in my painting, as well as the rhythm of the subjects, their movement, form, contrast, etc. My artwork consists of a black and white koi fish that forms a symbol resembling Yin Yang swimming through a red sea. As the fish flow through the water, a light shines from the surface, radiating a glimmer of hope for the two fish. The Yin Yang symbol signifies that success and failure must come together, just like how the two fish come together to form such a symbol. When one can embrace their own failures, a light will appear at the end of the tunnel, which represents a better future from learning such a lesson.

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Flowing Through Your Failures - Joseph “JaySJoe” Jung.jpg

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10 x 6 x 10 inches clay, gesso, oil paint

Seeking perfection, I faced challenges while sculpting—petals crumbled and deformed under the warmth of my hands, and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated at my inability to make them ‘perfect’. Pondering for a solution, I realized that many others also over-pressure themselves with perfection. So, Instead of dismissing ‘failures’ I chose to embrace them, viewing wounds as mediums for growth and frustration as a gateway to thought. Why should we seek perfection when it strifes our ability to bloom? This journey taught me that artistry thrives in imperfection, that beauty can emerge from even the most ‘imperfect’ situations.

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10.5” x 13.833 Digital art (Procreate).

I took reference from Andy Warhol’s pop artwork, as well as the album cover of TV Girl’s Who Really Cares. My personal interpretation of the prompt, “Accepting Imperfection,” is imperfection and mistakes within ability and talent. I have noticed that people tend to hold themselves and others to high standards regarding abilities and skills, pushing themselves to achieve “perfection,” but I believe that passion should not equate to perfection.
Through illustrations of women of distinct appearances, each with a different model of guitar ( colored white to symbolize a common passion), I aimed to exemplify differing skill levels and show that expertise and “perfecting” an art is never imperative, so long as you truly love what you do.

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15 x 11, colored pencils

This piece explores the beauty of accepting imperfections, both in ourselves and in those we love. The girl’s embrace of her dog represents unconditional love: a love that doesn’t seek perfection, but finds beauty in flaws. The dog’s slightly uneven gaze shows how imperfections are part of what makes us uniquely whole. Through this artwork, I wanted to communicate the idea that true connection comes from embracing the imperfect; it is within these very flaws that the most genuine love is found.

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Fitting Perfect Beauty Standards is Bland

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Fitting Perfect Beauty Standards is Bland

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21.5 x 17

Embracing imperfection means accepting your flaws, and recognizing that you are unique. I decided to embrace imperfections a more beauty and fashion direction. The materials I used was graphite and color pencils. The graphite parts I drew Marilyn Monroe because she’s classified as someone who has perfect beauty standards. I also drew other materials in graphite that relate to beauty standards. I contrasted with pieces in color. On the floor there is average clothes. There is also a “normal girl”. The pop of colors proves embracing that you are not perfect that it’s what makes you stand out.

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Embracing Imperfection Reflection Contest  - Katelyn Pang.heic

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12 x 16 acrylic on board

In this artwork it shows two faces. One who is able to accept there flaws and the other who is trying to change themselves. On one side of the accepted one there are flowers which represents the beauty of accepting your flaws. On the other hand, the side who is trying to change has images of what is accepted in our society. One of those being a rib cage to represent how society tells people how there body should look.

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When you accept your imperfections, then you are truly free to be yourself! In my art, I illustrate the moment someone finally accepts themself for who they are. My work is based on 80’s anime art styles, it is bright, happy and colorful. Band-Aids are covering the “injuries” of the pressure we put upon ourselves. I drew the character’s head popping like a party popper; now they are able to dance and have fun without worrying about what others think of them.

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15x20

What is perfection? How should someone define being perfect? In my opinion, it was always ending as beautiful as (if not more than) you started. Physically beautiful, yes, but also mentally and emotionally. In my mind, perfection was the end being beautiful and whole, with no flaws and no issues. I don’t believe that anymore, though. Perfection is flaws, perfection is going from one place to another and becoming new. Perfection is the journey.

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18 x 12 inches, watercolor (underpainting)
Oil Pastel (colors, shading)
Dental tools (scratching in highlights and details)

Dance involves many teaching styles, from harsh criticism to focusing on improvement. This piece shows how styles can affect students. The girl in the dark is criticized so harshly that she quits what she loves. Notes on her back represent hurtful words that never go away. She looks at who she could have been, a dancer smiling in the studio. This dancer is supported, shown by the gentle corrections on her leg. My piece is meant to inspire mentors to reflect on their role in others' self esteem and acceptance.

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Colored pencils

I look at embracing imperfection by connecting with children’s curiosity. Many children are born fearless and oblivious to their imperfections until pointed out by society. They don’t understand failure, embarrassment, or consequences. They are not afraid to act on impulse, experiment and mimic the world around them. This fearlessness is shown through a young girls’ cuts and bruises, symbolizing the marks that our experiences have on us. A stuffed bunny gradually becomes dirtier as it falls. Optimism is illustrated through bright colors within a floral background. My intention is to reconnect with the adventurous spirit of children.

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14x11

My artwork relates to the theme by having the rose go through the hand, and having the rose represent imperfection by having it welting especially through the petal falling, showing how imperfection is a part of us, and we have to embrace it.

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Inspired by Japanese kintsug, pastels, gold leaf, and brass paint. 14 x 18

My artwork depicts a unicorn, a creature known for its beauty and purity, with golden cracks all over its body. The cracks represent damage on what would otherwise be considered a “perfect” being. I wanted to use gold to represent how these impurities should still be treasured, as imperfections are still as beautiful as something unaltered. The glints of light represent opportunities that shine through imperfection and positive outcomes that mistakes can lead to.

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16x20

Using the theme, I created a piece depicting the act of forgiveness. We as individuals all have our flaws, but by forgiving one another, we are actively accepting our imperfections, as they are a part of what makes us human. With acrylic paint, I used softer colors as well as a less realistic style to portray my childhood memories, which are not as clear in detail. Thus, I painted a scene of my sister and me splitting an ice cream bar in half, as sharing food is one of the ways we show forgiveness.

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18x20, crayons, ink pen, color pencil, sharpie
Process: vibrant color made contrast to black color, used patterns to show rhythm, lines connected to people making movements, stick 12*18 paper to 18*20 to create space also by adding people walking outside and a black border.

The title is flawed because flaws are not imperfect, they made you who you are. Accepting imperfections is knowing that things are all based on people’s perceptions, so just be yourself and accept your flaws. In the drawing, the two people fighting to get through the wall symbolized the “flaws” on our body, however taking our flaws seriously will eventually locked u in a place where you cannot be happy. Person in the middle, accepted all the flaws so she’s shining, and love herself. People walking around outside, living their own lives does not pay attention.

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20x14.5 graphite

The concept of perfection is a facade conjured by the standards to which our society conforms. Thus, accepting imperfection is embracing the idea that reality is imperfect. Who are we to judge? We all walk the earth as imperfect men. Conveying this through my art, the hands of various people longing for each other's embrace represent the need for inclusion, combating the concept of perfection. The silhouette hands reaching out portrays the darkness and solitude one can experience without inclusion. They emerge from beneath the clouds, striving to get closer to “perfection,” as heaven is somewhere perfection is attainable.

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The Imperfect Hands of Inclusion(1) - Tobe Lin.jpg

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19X17.5

I used women in magazines for my references and my work is on paper.

My work explores imperfection in beauty, using bright, complementary colors to highlight contrasting ideas. The flowers surrounding the distorted face juxtapose simplicity with complexity, suggesting that beauty standards are less complex than they seem. Inspired by stereotypically attractive features from magazines, the face illustrates that beauty persists in imperfection. By challenging biased, media-driven ideals, my art invites a more inclusive and diverse understanding of beauty.

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16x12 Acrylic and Gouache

Looked up images of bruised fruit online and used them as reference.While constantly trapped by society’s expectations to be perfect, it is difficult to recognize our beauty hidden within our imperfections. For me, accepting imperfection means to embrace uniqueness and individuality. Without them, we start to blend in with each other, becoming dull and boring. My piece depicts an “imperfect” pear with an irregular shape, uneven coloring, and blemishes. It is surrounded by “perfect” pears that are blemish-free and have even color and shape. Going against society’s norms, its imperfections make it stand out since they are expressed as uniqueness and individuality.

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For as long as I can remember, my relationship with accepting imperfection has always a social and psychological experience. For the most part, “Imperfections” that I have noticed in my life are driven by internalized insecurity. Though others may not realize, contrasting my own qualities to others has always brought me down. The acknowledgement of your own achievements and success will reflect on your ability to come to terms with your imperfections. Surrounding yourself with people who embrace you for who you are and see what others cannot. Like Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of all joy”

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14x 17 Canvas board, acrylic paint

An assortment of fruits, emotional faces, and a swing all hang from a tree. The fruits, divided into two groups, portray the “ordinary” and the “unordinary” and display, through stark contrast, the perfect imperfections of humanity. Each individual face becomes a testament to the uniqueness of our lives. With every emotion, every flaw, this work depicts an introspective view for self acceptance - because, in the end, life is the little girl who swings on that tree, smiling at us for who we really are.

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16”x20” oil on canvas, plastic mirrors, acrylic paint for mirror frames

To accept our imperfections, we must first embrace who we are on the surface and within. With the use of mirrors and point-5 selfie angles, I incorporated devices that generally make us insecure about ourselves. For example, when we look at either, the first thing we see are flaws; like the bump on your nose, or the blemish on your skin. Though this may be true, they can also help us embrace who we are. By pointing out these imperfections, they tell us that nobody is perfect and it is just who we are, as a unique individual.

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As clouds collapse into sunset, blackening against the dark sky, a phoenix dives into fiery ashes at the end of its life. Daylight is the phoenix’s life, brilliant and fiery. Night is the phoenix’s black ashy death. The phoenix knows that it cannot live forever - the sun will always set. The phoenix must accept this imperfection, that life is a short, fast thing. As the phoenix accepts its fate and dives into the bleak beauty of a brilliant sunset, a tear of joy helplessly falls to earth. It dies knowing that it has lived, and that is enough.

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13.5 x 18

My work portraits the pain of our imperfections we have inside. We all have gross scary monsters that cause us shame and embarrassment inside. We have a responsibility to nurture and heal these wounds, showing love to things that hurt you and learning to heal past our own internal wounds.

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12 x 16 inch.

The damaged globe found amidst piles of rubbish symbolizes our injured, imperfect world. Although the Earth is far from perfect, it is our home.