A bit inspired by what I refer to as the “dumb + dumber” effect, this piece reflects my own observations around a naiveté mindset surrounding many who are born in 1st world nations.

The fine balance between innocence + ignorance, but also how they feed off each other in an endless cycle. I was thinking about the differences between my early childhood in a 3rd world country vs jr’s childhood in our so called, “the land of opportunity”, when I came up with this concept.

Most Americans fail to recognize how most 1st gen immigrant kids like myself, worked at least 2-3 times harder than the kid who may have been born here.

The drive stemmed from recognizing the sacrifices our loved ones made to get us onto this soil. It’s almost as if we arrived with an added layer of expected responsibility to excel above all others. To prove I deserved to be here as much as the person next to me.

40″ x 40″ | 300dpi NFT | Edition of 01
40″ x 40″ | pigment ink on bamboo paper + acrylic + velvet dust | Edition of 02