Contact: phoebenayetakeda@gmail.com
Website: https://www.phoebenaye.com
Instagram: @my.family_history_future

Executive Order 9066 directly impacted around 120,000 Japanese and Japanese American lives and continues to affect lives today through lineage and those sympathetic. This order led to the Japanese American Internment Camps which officially took away all civil rights and freedom of American citizens based on race. My grandparents, aunt, father and many of my other relatives are some of those who were forced to suffer these consequences of the government's actions. I grew up learning about my family history and all along, it has affected and influenced me; growing up to see the relevancy this history has today.

This series is based on the use of representational elements created through apparel design and surface embellishment techniques to bring to light the unjust internment of the Japanese Americans while highlighting important information around the event, like the honorable and segregated military units to the community built in the camps. From the use of military blankets, symbolic imagery and design techniques inspired by activities created behind the barbed wire, I hope to educate and relate to a wider variety of those who have faced or have seen inequality and injustice. 

All acts or events are not changeless throughout history, but there is an importance of seeing and understanding the parallels happening to different communities; the Muslim travel ban, Anti- pride movements, ICE’s cruel acts towards immigrants and the America/ Mexico detainment centers, reactions regarding Black Lives Matter and the current rise in hate crimes of Asians during COVID-19 pandemic. The Japanese American community holds onto the messages of hope, inspiring and motivating themselves meanwhile acknowledging the other minority communities, wanting and hoping for, still, a more inclusive future.

Email: isai.favela@gmail.com
Instagram: @izzyaspie 
Website: isaifavela.jimdo.com 

My experience through this lifetime has been diverse and erratic, but one consistent thing has always been my relationship with mother nature. Earth and its natural beauty seem like a universe within itself. I am completely mesmerized by these tiny insect workers building complete infrastructures, tunnels, and scavenging vast distances for food, to giant towers that scrape the sky with their dense foliage and giant roots that affix them to the ground. Till this day these wonders leave me in awe. But throughout the years I have seen many of these landscapes disappear. I have witnessed a waterfall that I have fond memories of, wither and vanish; with it, the vegetation and creatures which thrived on it. I have observed flourishing ecosystems being replaced by buildings and roads. The fast-moving pace of modern cities and institutions have focused humanity on a singular direction. As people worry about getting to work, school, or any destination, we seclude ourselves from nature. But to better understand ourselves we must first remove ourselves from all language and institutions. We must observe what is naturally present in the environment and bring ourselves back to nature. My art is a response to the ongoing nature versus culture tension. I seek to draw attention to the ecological crisis generated by territorialism, and remind people that the problem is geometrically progressing as the world continues to be paved. 

Contact: monkey_loves_to_draw@yahoo.com
Instagram: @nettysketti

My work deals with personal experiences through the use of figurative portraits, by emphasizing nonverbal communications, such as emotions.

When I interact with my friends, it is a horrifying experience. I can never truly relax around them. I am always in an anxious state, trembling hands, avoiding eye contact, and giggling nervously because I struggle to form a complete thought that makes sense grammatically. Despite all of this, these are individuals I trust because they share similar psychological disorders, they understand and sympathize with me.

For every painting, sketch, and performance that I create, my thoughts during the process are quite destructive. I intentionally place myself in an unpleasant emotional mindset, often reliving traumatic events. Doing this during the creation of a work allows me to display complete honesty in expressing my emotions and memories. Being in a negative mindset makes it easier to express and appreciate the memories that bring me joy.