Lunch Time Artist Talks: Sophia Roca

The artwork, Puzzle of Sonder embodies a collection of animated memories that explore the joys and hardships of living between two cultures. Growing up as a first-generation Filipino-American, I am learning to appreciate more in life through self-acceptance. At home, I was taught the Filipino lifestyle and learned the American way of living through school. From my experience, I believe Filipino culture values collectivism and respect, whereas American culture values individualism and self-awareness. Feeling uncertain of my ability to cope with its dualities has become a long-lasting challenge for me. The contrast between both cultures brings about feelings of dissociation and has made it difficult navigating my individuality while being self-assured.

I utilize visual storytelling in my artwork to explore the beauty and complexities of human existence. The narrations animated in the series of GIF’s for the Puzzle of Sonder demonstrate the intricate moments of my life that help outline my identity and promote self growth. The digital and traditional photomosaic animations are whimsical, implementing soft shades of monochromatic colors to juxtapose the lighter and darker aspects of my story. The multitude of GIF’s serves as a backdrop for the central element of collective dinner plates that symbolize my hunger for new life-changing experiences. These memories are broken into puzzle pieces to portray the analogy that life is meant to be treated like a jigsaw puzzle with no reference photo. Life is quite messy, but we collect these experiences until we get the big picture.