The second I could hold a pencil, I began drawing. I’ve always been a visual learner and drawing came naturally as a channel for self expression and interpretation. First it was using pencils, then markers, slowly to paint, and as of now, I’ve learned a large variety of mediums: oil paint, clay, metals, glass, traditional Chinese ink, and embroidery. 

Currently, I’m working on a large 5ft x 6ft relief sculpture using hand-made paper mache clay of an eye with a mirror as the pupil. The idea of this piece is to “see the world through the reflection in our eyes” as a representation of problems we see happening that need to be addressed. When you look into someone’s eyes, you see your own reflection staring back and this piece is a lamentation of the same reflection when we look at the world. I’m taking up the challenge of creating a much larger work as well as pushing myself to explore multimedia and sculpture on a more dimensional level. In this attempt, I hope to create something that someone can look at and genuinely reflect on things larger than themselves. Stay tuned for pictures in the near future!

Crystal Ma is a self-made artist from Pittsburgh, PA.

I’ve realized that art has undoubtedly played a large role in developing my personality, lifestyle, habits, and goals. I could wax poetic about all the reasons why art is important to me but really, when I don’t do art, I constantly think about it and I can’t help but feel the need to do it. I always have new visions and ideas in my head I have to express in some way. For me, art is my addiction and I need to have it in my life in some way, shape, or form.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered that art is a voice that can be used to impact, share, and influence others. I can use it to express my opinion and utilize it as a peaceful call to action. As I started finding all the things I value and the issues I cared about, I began seeing art as a way to act upon my passions. 

When conceptualizing pieces, I usually find inspiration in recent issues or problems within society. Particularly, because of my specific concentration in fashion, I’ve targeted many of my pieces on ethical problems within the fashion industry. I first determine what message I want to convey and draft up a couple thumbnail sketches. I then label and lightly shade in overall color schemes and select possible mediums based on what I want to emphasize. For example, in Masked in Monotone, I wanted to emphasize the masks and overall texture of life in contrast to the monotonicity of everything else. Thus, I used a palette knife and oil paint to build up the volume and texture on the masks, the hair, and the clothing. Another example of deliberate medium selection is when I chose to use fabric to make the collage, Shock in Fabric, because the facial expression in that piece is a reflection of all the unethical practices used in the fashion industry. I specifically chose to use scrap fabric because one of the largest issues in that industry is fabric waste and overproduction.