---Marin Art Students---
We have a winner for our 2024 Student Art Award!
Her name is Nala, or legally, Aoife Raitt.
She is a painter and graduated from Marin Academy this year.
Golden Gate Marin Artists (NLAPW) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Some of the main motifs in my art include parts of my identity,
marginalization, and the expression of taboo emotion. I painted a mural of my Vietnamese heritage, focusing on a girl with a bowl of noodles. This depicted a very common East Asian "love" language: food.
The steam from the noodles rises up and connects with the clouds; the girl's ancestors are watching over her.
My grandpa passed away fighting in the Vietnam-American war when my mom was just two. I created a mural which captured how loved I felt because of my cultural beliefs, and reconnected me with my ancestors.
I want to use my personal art as a means of interpreting social issues so I can increase my empathy and social awareness. This mural leads viewers to push the boundaries of their emotional understanding.
Not only did it help me, but more importantly, it was a project created in tandem with the new documentary short film, “Go Back to your Country,” about Asian Hate; proceeds from the mural are going to organizations
dedicated to stopping this hate.
My most personal piece is entitled “Pieces.” In a place of despair and grief, I put aside everything to create this painting. I remember being so connected to the piece that I briefly forgot where I was.
I had no plan going into it. A collection of shapes and strokes culminates in the most raw piece I have created. I truly believe my art comes from the depths of my soul.
Some of the main motifs in my art include parts of my identity,
marginalization, and the expression of taboo emotion. I painted a mural of my Vietnamese heritage
Golden Gate Marin Artists
National League of American Pen Women