Yu-Lei Tseng

What inspired you to choose the inquiry (big idea or question) for your Sustained Investigation?

Self-confidence was the first term to appear on my mind map, but as I went over my thoughts repeatedly, I noticed how personal this word was and its meaning to my life. I chose this inquiry because confidence has always shaped my own engagement with challenges, my own self-expression, and my ability to connect with another person. As I continued to think and write, I came to understand how confidence could easily transfer, depending on external factors such as whom you are in collaboration with, negative feedback, or opportunities for building confidence. This original thought led me to understand the nature of self-confidence as both an internal belief and as something that changes by the context and the people around me. Through ongoing inquiry, I describe the weak balance between self and social accountability and how confidence can be forged through conflict and recovery.

How did your inquiry change, grow, or shift as you created more artwork?

Broken Court is the result of exploration about the impact of conflict and inequality within relationships and how they affect our identity and experienced relationships. This work communicates my personal struggle with confidence while playing volleyball, as well as how a power imbalance within a team can transform an experience from one of collaboration and friendship to one of isolation and loneliness. It is a depiction of a volleyball match, where I include surreal and mixed-up imagery that highlights the tension of playing with a selfish captain. The exaggerated smile, broken limbs, and sketched movements of playing the game evoke emotions of dominance, accusation, and pressure, while the faces simultaneously depict the players chaotically. They are disjointed and disconnected as teammates and collaborators. By integrating athletic imagery and visual metaphors that throw off the story, I address how spaces designed for learning and positive growth can become instruments of control and cultivate self-doubt.

In what ways did your art teacher support your growth as an artist?

My art teacher has been essential in helping me develop as an artist by prompting my critical and intentional thinking about the components of my work. She encouraged me to reflect on whether the choices I made in composition, materials, processes, and symbolism influenced the ideas I aimed to convey. This practice developed a habit of questioning and refining visual options rather than simply making art without intention. She also emphasized being an innovative problem-solver and a thoughtful thinker, and she pushed me to do things, to take risks, and to evaluate the outcomes. I learned how to express my thoughts to the viewer better through conversations with my teacher and getting feedback on my work, as well as to connect meaning and visual form. Additionally, she asked me to research art with different styles and concepts that expanded my perspectives on new ways of conveying emotion and meaning. She guided me away from the process of only making art to thinking like an artist—for example, intentional, analytical, and self-aware in the creative process.

How did your school leaders (like your principal, assistant principal, or counselor) support you as an art student (for example, visiting your class, attending art shows, or talking with you about your goals)?

My leaders in the school community supported my growth as an artist by creating opportunities for growth and by having my work acknowledged. They organized school art exhibitions and were able to share my work with a larger audience, thus bringing me to a place where I felt comfortable sharing my voice and my process. I believe these experiences and events were important because I felt that the art I created was important to my community. In addition, my leaders facilitated field trips and workshops that connected me to new media, materials, and experiences outside of the classroom. Through those experiences, I learned how professional artists position themselves through their work and the way art communicates ideas within diverse cultural and social contexts. My counselor was also supportive through our discussions about art and future goals and aspirations throughout our time together, while also helping me work through my portfolio and helping me to clarify pathways to creative careers. The encouragement from my leaders added to my growth not only as a student but also as someone who can be regarded as an artist who feels supported and inspired to improve.