For Berkeley High School (BHS) junior Konani Chinn, art has always been their fundamental form of self expression, regardless of the medium. “I don’t have a kind of art, I just create when life inspires me,” they remarked. Chinn noted that being put in situations where they were forced to use unconventional art materials has taught them to “focus on what I want to create, [rather than] making sure I’m properly using the material.” Chinn’s work is primarily drawn, and can range from self-portraits to collages and manga. Their art has become allowed them to take a creative deep dive into self-discovery. “With drawing self-portraits, I have been able to better understand my racial background and cultural identity.” Recently they made a collection of self-portraits that each have the same outline but with different hairstyles, expressing different stories from Chinn’s life.
A prime aspect of Chinn’s art is the differing perspectives from their audience. “Everyone gets different meanings out of my art, which is why art is so unique,” they said. Often times in art, there is no right or wrong way to interpret something. This especially holds true for Chinn’s work. In many of their pieces there is no deliberate explanation, as they invite you to make sense of the art through your own individual lens.