Maxine Bell
I want the viewer to be confronted with my face.
I create my pieces with six oil pastels, which give me the freedom to voice my emotions most accurately. My aim is to express my experience growing up in Irvington, New York as a half-Japanese half-white female where I feel pressured to assimilate to white culture and neglect my Asian heritage. I hope the viewer is able to think differently on comments which may not seem to be insulting at first. It is important to recognize everyone's nationality and respect their culture; never make them feel embarrassed or pressured to pick and choose where society prefers them to come from. Everyone has their own background; it should always be accepted and never made fun of.