A 1st-generation American, junior Zoe Del Rosario is an aspiring artist and advocate of cultural diversity.

“There’s not that much diversity in Moraga. Coming from Oakland and coming from Vallejo and the Philippines, I’ve seen a lot of color, a lot of different foods. It gives me a different perspective on life,” Del Rosario said.

Rosario hopes that her work fosters discussion in her community. “I would like to make pieces where the issue of culture is addressed in my art because I would like to bring that culture into Moraga,” she explained.

According to her AP European History teacher, Paul Verbanszky, “art, culture, and art history” are topics Rosario discusses frequently with other members of the Art History club.

Rosario’s Philippine heritage serves as inspiration for her artwork, as do her father and grandfather, themselves artists.

Rosario also likes to include themes from her favorite music in her art. “I like to think that Twenty-one Pilots has a bunch of dark themes that turn into lighter ones. If you look at their first few albums, they are pretty sad but through every new album they get happier, like their tackling their own demons, and I like to put that in my art,” she said.

Rosario enjoys art’s subjective nature. “I didn’t have to conform to anything. You can do anything you want,” she said.

She describes her own style of art “like a patchwork quilt of favorite artists.” She is a particular fan of Vincent van Gogh. “I look at my favorite artists and look at what makes me like that artist and I’ll incorporate that into my art,” Rosario explained.

Rosario has made a lot of progress throughout her artistic career. “From an artistic standpoint, I used to draw just eyes when I was younger, because that was the only thing I could draw, just one eye. I didn’t really like to venture outside of my comfort zone, but as I started to like art even more in high school I really expanded my art skills,” she said.

Much of her skill is self taught. “I set aside time after school everyday to watch videos of people doing art and made it a task for me to learn art myself outside of art class,” she said.

However, not everyone has been supportive of her focus on art. According to Rosario, her parents wish she would choose a more financially lucrative career path. Like most parents, they want their first child to be really successful, explained Rosario.

Nevertheless, Rosario would “really like to take art in college.” She sees it as a mental touchstone in her life, stating that without it, she would go “crazy.”

Rosario also believes she may suffer from stereotyping.”I think a lot of people don’t really take me seriously because of my appearance. My parents always warned me about cutting my hair when I was younger, because they said that people won’t view me the same as other people because it’s different.”

Those who have taken the time to understand Rosario however, see a creative force. Verbanszky, who had Rosario in sophomore AP European History, said, “She was a huge participant in class. She brought a lot of artistic aspects to her work.” Verbansky found her work to be “very creative and unique.”

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