For my next piece, I am going to attempt my first self-portrait. I wanted to incorporate features that had a subtle significance, yet were also more personal, and represent my style better.
First of all, my favorite color is a bright red, like the lightest of the three shades I used in this spread. It is also a lucky color in Chinese culture. This being meaningful on many different levels, I wanted to make this color the main focus of this piece, so I decided to leave the rest of the portrait in grayscale.
Through this, I aim to represent the Chinese dragon, which also brings luck and good fortune. The outer appearance of the Chinese dragon can be interpreted as dangerous and mysterious, as represented by the simple choice of black and white, while the red symbolizes the deeper significance of the dragon’s strength, courage, and loyalty. By purposefully making the hat and nail polish red, this portrait can signify how I “wear” these traits, and how I am often misunderstood, like the dragon. Nevertheless, those good characteristics still shine through and make an even greater impact.
