Before creating my painting, Fallen Alien, I reflected on my experiences and feelings throughout the past year to create something that could hopefully connect to others. The main theme I focused on was vulnerability and the push for a more empathetic society.
While the subject is in a vulnerable position and at risk of falling into the sky, she is supported by the ropes that connect her to the ocean. If the painting is flipped upside down, the stakes are lowered and she seems only to be falling a short distance into the water. These two outcomes visually represent how if we, as a society, let our guard down and allow ourselves to feel for others, the consequences are never as bad as they might seem.

Other elements in the painting that contribute to the themes are the pants that resemble a malachite crystal. Malachite is said to open the heart and support friendship and empathy. Also, the subject is very similarly colored to the fish to express feelings of being a “fish out of water”– a phrase that is typically negative. But the fish here actually has freedom, which is what I hope humanity achieves through vulnerability.