OtherWorld and Earth Eaters

Editorial is open for submissions: [email protected]

by otherworld

I am a 23-year-old artist and full time PhD student in the field of bioengineering. Most of my day I spend in the biology lab, conducting cutting edge research focused on new approaches to tissue engineering. The free-time I have, I put into art.

Art has been an integral part of my life and was passed down to me by my mother who is an artist herself. I was drawn to art at a young age drawing doodles in elementary school. During middle school, I attended an art class focused on realistic oil paintings of landscapes and figures for a year, but it didn’t satisfy me. I had a hiatus from art for all of high school and most of my undergraduate career, totaling about 8 years without touching any art. In the last two years I rediscovered my love for art through digital works. During the 8-year hiatus, I still appreciated art and wished to create more of it, but I thought I didn’t have the free-time. Now, I realize that I need to make time for art, as it is a creative outlet that keeps me productive and is genuinely enjoyable for me. I find inspiration everywhere ranging from song lyrics to a personal life experience. The process of bringing that inspiration and idea to life and being able to share it with the world is priceless for me and is going to be a permanent part of my life moving forward.

I mix collages and illustrations to create psychedelic and surreal art pieces that tell stories. Looking at my art, I doubt anyone would guess that I am from a scientific background; this is because I use art to cut me off from my work life. The subjects I focus on in my art are hardly ever influenced by science. Making art is my favorite pass-time, as it allows me to create and visit other worlds (hence, my artist name) from the comfort of my room. Some art pieces I go into with a vision and plan, with a specific story to tell. Others, I go with the flow, adding cut-out pieces from various photos and paintings as I go. I intend my pieces to be open ended and I never publicly state the main story or take-home message; I leave that up to the viewer. 

One specific piece that is especially dear to me is Earth Eaters. I took a recognizable baroque painting “Two Children Eating a Melon and Grapes” by Bartolome Esteban Murillo and completely changed its meaning and storyline. The original art piece depicted the kids in a mundane nature, sitting around sharing fruit. I turned them into space demons, sharing earth as a snack. This is one of the pieces that I went into with a specific thought/message in mind, but I won’t share it; I leave that up to you to decide.

I hope my art pieces are as special to the viewer as they are to me.