Art and Design
Published illustrations, cartoons, and feature photos
I. Cartoon: Thinness at the expense of nutrition
Caption- Ozempic has become the newest celebrity weight loss trend. Though commonly used by diabetics, the weekly injectable drug results in a rapid loss of fat when used recreationally. It is only a matter of time till Ozempic’s hype spreads to the mainstream, proving how little the body positivity movement has achieved. The ongoing narrative continues to prioritize thinness over health, but our bodies need nutrients, and we are depriving them of such. When the definition of desired beauty is constantly shifting, it’s not worth chasing the body shape celebrities are drugging themselves to achieve.
What inspired me to make a cartoon about the Ozempic crisis was a story in the new yorker titled “The Ozempic Era.” The issue struck a cord within me, and curiosity pushed me to read up on the topic. Multiple articles later, I found myself having fallen down a bit of a rabbit hole.
Being well-researched is always a plus, but this time I had too many perspectives to consider and too little space in both the cartoon and caption. As a result, drafting this cartoon took much longer than I anticipated. I was conflicted in deciding whether or not to open up the discussion to the drug's shortage for the diabetics whose lives depended on it or even social media's role in spreading its non-medical use. Instead, I was forced to hone in on the essential idea I wanted the viewer to take away– the contrast between Ozempic as a drug and real food.
In writing articles, we've been taught to consider every cascading implication of an issue to represent a story accurately. But especially for editorial cartoons, I've learned it's best to keep the concept focused rather than polluting your argument with half-finished thoughts.
II. Feature illustration for “Earth Day recycles ineffective climate efforts”
This illustration was used as the feature photo for an article I had written in a partnership that explored local climate activist groups shifting the narrative of Earth Day. I wanted to convey the alarming nature of the superficial climate action that the article discussed. Taking a feature photo that could encapsulate this idea proved difficult because we found that our images often produced underwhelming results in relation to the abstract nature of our message. So I ditched the photo altogether and turned to illustration. I concluded that illustration could open up a new space for creativity that draws readers into any story. I avoided overcomplicating the piece's concept and focused on bright colors and easily identifiable elements to make an eye-catching illustration that would serve as an initial introduction to what the article would dive deeper into.
III. Cover illustration for the main spread titled “The Beginning of the Rest of Your Life”
This illustration served as the cover art for a series of profiles I wrote with a partner for our publication’s “adulting” issue. We profiled a college freshman, a soon-to-be mother, a woman at the top of her field in the workplace, and an elderly couple celebrating 65 years of marriage. Each individual was going through a monumental phase in their life, so I began toying with this idea of metamorphosis. I considered the countless complications and successes that came with these different timelines, which shaped them into their current selves. I began imagining a butterfly in its final stage of metamorphosis: blossoming from its cocoon and presenting its once-withered, now fully developed wings to the world.
Knowing that this illustration would be the cover art for our writing drastically altered my approach to the piece. I came to understand that my art would set a specific tone for the writing that was to come, so I was extremely purposeful in choosing primary colors for the focal points and leaving the other colors light and fresh to create a sense of childlike playfulness.
IV. Cover illustration for the main spread titled “The Beginning of the Rest of Your Life”
This illustration was a featured image for a chapter in a package about local fishermen and their adherence to sustainable methods compared to overseas companies. I knew I had to draw from recognizable elements to create a general understanding of the locality, but the piece's perspective proved to be a challenge at first. I wanted the final product to be realistic in-depth, which was difficult to achieve when combining the separate elements of the ocean, boat, and bridge that were pulled from different photo references. Such roadblocks pushed me to experiment with varying color values to create a skewed perspective and illusion of movement in the water.
V. Cartoon in paring with the editorial “We’ve been ‘schooled’ by the education system”
My friend was writing an editorial for our magazine's upcoming issue and approached me about working together. The draft for her editorial blew me away, and I was eager to create a visual that was equally as compelling as her writing.
This was all taking place during the dreaded lead-up to the AP exams, and I found myself deeply invested in my friend's discussion of heavy course loads and redefining what it means to be a successful student. I relished our shared discontent with the College Board, so creating this cartoon turned out to be a genuinely enjoyable experience.
At the time, calculus was the class to which I could trace a majority of my burnout, leading me to tactically include a calculus textbook in the final product. Vilainizing the college board as a vampire draining the life out of hard-working students was also something I had fun playing around with. Regardless that these minor details would end up escaping the viewer's consideration, I found it helpful to make light of my not-so-amusing situation by including elements that were personal to my own struggles with the topic at hand.