— 📂 goodbye viscom !
two months of hard work whilst studying for the leaving cert, working on my portfolio day and night. in june 2021, we sat the exams wearing masks and social distancing. while i also distanced myself from my friends in order to focus on my future. i couldn’t contain my excitement once i received the acceptance email.
it was a fresh slate. throughout the next four years, i learned so much more than i could imagine. from studying typographic terminology, pulling all-nighters to write an essay only to submit it late in the end, navigating my own artistic journey, lots of imposter syndrome, and many many breakdowns.
and so the last of our final submissions to brightspace have been submitted, the final year exhibition gradx has come and gone, our final year award classifications are still pending, and we wait to walk the stage in our gowns and caps in autumn.
another chapter is coming to a close, and i can’t help but think of me at 17 years old, finishing off my music exam, relieved that it’s finally over, and also terrified of what’s next to come. she’s probably feeling exactly how i do right now.
i wanted to thank the beautiful, wonderful people who have made my college experience so worthwhile, so worth coming into class even if i have no work done and i get slated in the crits. some i’ve known since the first day of school, and some only a few months.
some of us will go further into education, and some will travel until they’re broke. we’ll all keep checking up on each other on linkedin and insta to see how we’re doing in life. i’ll never forget my childhood friends from my teenage years, even though we barely speak anymore. i know we’ll always hold a place in our hearts for one another, like right now, except we’re heading into our mid-20s.
so thank you, fingal community college class of 2021, for the bittersweet youth we’ve spent together, and to tudublin design visual communication class of 2025, for being the bridge to my career and teaching me how to survive crits. i wouldn’t be here without the help of my good friends, you know who you are, and our tutors too. good luck to everyone waiting on results! see yous in october ❤️
Thesis-in-studio project: Dear Third Culture Parents
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This project is about creating a safe space for my parents to return to their youth, to acknowledge the sacrifices they made as immigrants. It also addresses the autonomy that is being negotiated between parent and child.
It’s difficult watching your children grow up, especially in a culture unfamiliar to your own. Having to navigate uncharted waters while raising Third Culture Kids is a challenge in itself.
They will eventually have to go out into the world and live their lives. We are all someone’s kid, but we are also all our own person.
2 layer 8” chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting ! this one is expressing the spring energy we all crave right now. hope this baddie enjoys her bridgerton inspired cake! it was originally going to be baby blue…
note to self: butterfly pea only works for cancelling out the yellow hues in buttercream - not strong enough for colouring cream! also i swear by this recipe because whenever it feels like i won’t have enough, there’s always extra leftover :)
Auspicious Eight Artist Panel 2026
i’m deeply honoured and moved that people decided to take time out of their day to come to the panel. thank you @jinnyly for giving us this opportunity to speak about our practice! thank you @lixyphoto_ and @cestlahan for such great insights into their work! thank you @designbyjiayiluo for the pics and for everyone for coming to listen to us today! see you next year❤️
3 layer 8” black forest birthday cake! cherry infused chocolate layers stacked with homemade cherry compote and whipped cream. i won’t lie, this was a challenge trying to stack 4 layers, it actually came toppling down, but all is good we managed to save it.
the sweetness of the cake is cut by the sour black cherries and fluffy whipped cream! also my current setup is my turntable on top of a pot… manifesting proper equipment! hope everything was to people’s liking <3
happy new year! 新年快樂 ✨pt 1/2
i couldn’t fit thailand into a carousel of 20 pics so i’ll make another. the words are caught in my throat. between two homes i feel not only a sense of longing to connect with my cultural roots, but also rage and sadness all at the same time. my grandad gets up at 6am everyday, he has 2 boiled eggs for breakfast. my mom is the one that makes it for him. i ask her why does it have to be you? why can’t he do it himself? and she replies: it’s my duty.
angry because how come all the women are preparing food in the kitchen? their mental load filled with what’s for dinner, where to get ingredients, how many beers do the men need… but it’s fine because it was a different generation? i don’t know exactly how to deal with it but i keep telling myself, my sons will learn to cook, they will be taught how to be self-sufficient and will not take pride in knowing housework because that is how they’ll be raised.
and the animals… all living beings must come to their end eventually and that is a known fact, so how come it still brings me to tears? every time i see roadkill, i think of their families and children, the mouths they had to feed. the stray dogs that nobody takes care of, because they’re seen as dirty mutts… but toy poodles are somehow different? every life matters and it frustrates me and leaves me heartbroken to see those poor souls, with injuries or matted coats, or hopping on three legs crossing the road. i pray that they move onto living a better life.
4 layer red velvet birthday cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting! the red took i think 5 tries, it kept curdling or the colour wasn’t deep enough or it was juicing up…. anyways!
it all works out in the end. though i don’t enjoy buttercream too much - this cream cheese frosting has a slight tartness from the lemon juice, goes so well with the chocolatey red velvet layers. happy valentine’s ! <3
new recipes i haven’t tried before! considering getting a second fridge for my bakes.. looking forward to whatever is next in my cake endeavours! taking a moment of silence for the past 24 hours, it’s been traumatising but i must keep moving ? it’s nothing big, just life altering in every sense. my boss suggested therapy and i might ponder on that a bit.
