Linn Soh (’22)

How did you first react when you heard you won the award?

I felt really disappointed at first when I won the awards because I’d always received gold keys and this time, I’d received silver and bronze keys. I reflected on it a bit and realized that I shouldn’t base my artistry or skill on a contest’s results. I think that I can always win something next time, and if not, I’ll just continue making pieces I like. 

What was your favorite piece you submitted this year?

My favorite piece is “Honoré’s Heart” because it has the most personal value to me. I also tried oil paint for the first time on this painting and tried bolder colors. The reference is my own photograph, too.

What were the messages or themes you wanted to convey through your piece?

After eating dinner with one of my friends, I took a photo of him and painted it at home. He has coffee eyelashes, hunched-over posture, and a French nose. He loves studying economics and film, laughing with people and eating fried chicken, playing jazz and the drums. Light emanates from his figure. Oranges, reds, yellows: they describe his sensitivity and warmth. Green: the passion and momentum he pours out. Purples and blues: his sides I have yet to meet, obscured in shadows. The car frames him and these lights cozily, like a ribcage encasing a beating heart. I watch as the lights pass him on by. And I admire the forward drive he has, straight into the unknown.