Preston Vang isn’t just your regular artsy highschool senior. For Preston his artistic drive is more than an extracurricular activity or class assignment he receives, It’s his culture.
His passion for craft arose from 2020 being locked up in his house, quarantine. Prestons’ older sister is his main teacher throughout his art journey, guiding him to find the unique style that he creates. After quarantine he never stopped creating, finding a sense of fulfillment in being able to showcase his culture in a way that he wasn’t previously doing.
Hmong culture isn’t typically represented in American art styles or even mass media. That adds to making his art just that much more significant. Preston is fighting that norm by including symbols and specifics of his culture into his final products.
The art mediums he uses are across the board his favorite being traditional pencil and paper, but when getting more advanced he uses alcohol markers, oil paint, acrylic paint, and when he has the time he uses digital applications to create art.
Some of the masterpieces he has created include The Lily Warrior, a traditional piece that was made with graphite, paper and some form of red alcohol markers. Displaying a male figure gazing into the abyss with a mirrorized figure shown gracefully in the right hand corner.
“This art piece I made is a traditional art based on lily flowers,” Vang said. “I wanted to add red hues to make the piece more vibrant. I made sure to shade the focal point dark, to attract the audience’s eyes.”
Further, Vang has designed and created wearable pieces into his portfolio. His wearable pieces include
So yes you may often find Preston in the art rooms in Mrs. O’loughlins class, however, doesn’t mean his artistic abilities come close to his peers. His incorporation of his culture adds a level of depth that others his age don’t necessarily have the skill sets to accomplish.
