Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, I conducted an intensive exploration into the themes of ambiguity, authenticity, and bootlegging as part of my graduate practice. These concepts, interested in complexity and contradiction, have served as the foundation for my way of making, and are also running threads in the way I navigate life. As a mixed-race individual in a world that often seeks to categorize and simplify, I’ve always lived a life that naturally challenges binaries and labels. This personal experience has deeply informed my creative journey, guiding me to recognize graphic design both as a form of expression as well as a tool to question, distort, and redefine the visual landscapes we navigate daily.

In today's digital age, our perceptions of authenticity are constantly being shaped and reshaped—both in real life and online—through the media we consume and the interactions in our daily lives. Throughout my career at CalArts,  I engaged with these ideas with an interest to explore how ideas related to ambiguity and the act of bootlegging can serve as powerful methodologies for creative practice. These techniques allow for the transformation of existing ideas and forms, giving way to new meaning and creating a space for dialogue and a sense of shared interests.

This book was structured to reflect the scope of my graduate practice.