2025
My piece titled “Answers in the Stars” is meant to represent the practice of reading zodiac charts and the idea of following horoscopes to improve daily life. My inspiration came from a handmade deck of tarot cards that a friend made for me on my 17th birthday. After being gifted the cards I would go up to anybody who was around to ask them if they'd like their horoscopes read., One classmate of mine’s reaction after reading hers seemed like she was content with the answers that she was looking for. Even though I was fairly new at tarot reading, the vague meaning of each card I'd read was interpreted differently from person to person and helped them find what area in their life the reading could be related to. That experience led me to research more about fortune telling and horoscopes. While some people turn towards religion to seek comfort and guidance within their lives, I find it beautiful that some look up to constellations for reassurance and guidance. Since 2019 I’ve been applying astrology to my personal life by checking in on my Co-Star app and reading the suggested Do’s and dont’s for the day., Sometimes the advice the app recommends is silly and doesn’t mean much, but other times it gives me some sense of comfort when I feel like I’m losing control in life.
The figure in this piece is the zodiac Aquarius, although this painting is of a woman, the story of Aquarius follows a beautiful man named Ganymede, the cupbearer of the gods who became a divine hero after gifting the other gods the horses Hermes brought to his father. Aquarians are associated with characteristics like purposely esoteric, intelligent, and more in love with humanity as a whole than individuals. Aquarius is ruled by the planet Uranus and the constellation can be found best in the Northern hemisphere in October. When I envision this piece I imagine the water bearer being able to tame the rough ocean tides to turn them into calm tempered waves from the power within her.