When I was thinking about what to do with my mask, I wanted to include things that were very important to me and my identity. My first idea was to paint the Indian flag because my Indian culture is a vital part of my identity that represents who I am in all aspects of my life. I also included a sun bindi and nose piercing as a representation of Indian culture.
I then wanted to incorporate something from Staten Island that represented who I was so I included the Verrazano Bridge. I used to live in Brooklyn where both of my parents work so I basically live on the Verrazano Bridge. I included flowers and a butterfly honestly because it was pretty to look at. I included charms of ocean stuff because I love the water and everything related to it. It is important to my identity because my family loves the water and we love to vacation and travel. Lastly I added my last name to my lips as a way of saying that my last name shares so much of who I am. My last name is my first introduction to the world and to show people who I am.
Completing this project helped me explore the role of art in my life because this project allowed me to express my identity through colors and patterns. This connects to the role of art in my community because it allows people to feel connected as a society through NYC art.
