2026 Individual Visual Art

**Blue Afterlife**
Sean Hur is a junior student at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. His work explores themes of transformation, ecological cycles, and the persistence of form beyond disappearance. Drawing inspiration from natural processes such as decomposition and regeneration, he examines how energy and matter continue to circulate rather than end.
Working across image-making and material experimentation, he often deconstructs and reconstructs visual elements to reflect shifts in state, memory, and structure. His practice investigates how forms can be altered yet remain connected to their origins, emphasizing continuity within change. Through this approach, he seeks to visualize invisible systems—both biological and conceptual—that shape the way life, matter, and meaning evolve over time.

**Childish Features**
Lara Shulman is an 11th grade student at New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. In her work she loves to use color and explore themes of childhood and nostalgia, and she hopes to evoke happiness and warm emotions from her viewers.

**Doppelganger**
Bridget Han is a second-year student majoring in visual art at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from South Korea. Her work began by questioning the relationship between human existence and obscure terms like timespace. She won faculty recognition awards in a student juried show in 2026. Her illustration that collaborates with a classmate won the 2026 Interlochen yearbook design awards. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Arts, receiving Gold and Silver keys. Next year, Bridget will be a third year junior in the Interlochen Arts Academy as a visual arts major.

**Rhythm of Nature**
Siwoo Park is a junior student at BC Collegiate in Korea, who investigates the invisible foundations, the “social pilotis,” that sustain human well-being. Through a multidisciplinary practice spanning mixed media, product design, and interactive installation, she explores how natural ecosystems and everyday language function as essential infrastructure for our mental and physical stability. From casting the microscopic presence of phytoncide to reconstructing daily conversations into auditory structures, her work seeks to expose the hidden systems that prevent psychological collapse and foster harmony within urban and domestic spaces.

**Emotinal Piloti**
Siwoo Park is a junior student at BC Collegiate in Korea, who investigates the invisible foundations, the “social pilotis,” that sustain human well-being. Through a multidisciplinary practice spanning mixed media, product design, and interactive installation, she explores how natural ecosystems and everyday language function as essential infrastructure for our mental and physical stability. From casting the microscopic presence of phytoncide to reconstructing daily conversations into auditory structures, her work seeks to expose the hidden systems that prevent psychological collapse and foster harmony within urban and domestic spaces.

**Enough Still — Yellow**
Joohyun Hong is currently a Year 11 student enrolled in an online school and residing in South Korea. She possesses an artistic vision that has evolved from portraying the visible to exploring the relationship between art and the ‘unseen.’ By studying psychology, she delves into the interplay between psychological elements and the ‘invisible’ aspects of art. This unique perspective has shaped her into a dedicated artist passionate about drawing and the intersection of psychology and art, especially as it applies to the marketing realm.

**Extinction**
Park Soyun is a junior at BC Collegiate, Korea, whose work explores the intersection of architectural space and human environments. Through material-based experimentation, she examines the inherent tensions between urban and rural landscapes, tradition and modernity, and appearance and reality. Her practice critiques the superficiality of modern development while seeking a "heterogeneous harmony" where the efficiency of the city and the sustainability of the past can coexist. Ultimately, her practice proposes that within conflict and loss, there is an enduring possibility for reconstruction and integration.

**Faded Figure**
Ariana Formica is a junior visual artist at New World School of the Arts. Her parents were born in Argentina, but she was born and resides in Miami. Her work is often made from textiles and fiber, centered on rebuilding connections within communities she feels disconnected from. She received a Silver Key in the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and won the Doodle for Google Florida State Finalist in 2024. Recently, her art has been published in magazines and exhibited at museums in Miami, including the BASS and the Coral Gables Museum. She hopes to pursue a career merging her passion for psychology and the arts.

**Fragmented Time**
Based in Seoul, South Korea, Jaewoon Jeong, a junior artist at Seoul Academy centers his practice on the nature of time and the shifting landscape of human perception. His work explores the fundamental paradox of time, how it flows as an incessant stream yet is felt through fragmented experiences, and the unshakable persistence of human desire. Drawing from a multidisciplinary background in digital media arts, computer science, and character design, he crafts imaginative visuals that bridge technical logic with emotional depth. By integrating the structured inquiry of coding and the critical analysis of debate, he continually expands his visual vocabulary, translating profound intellectual concepts into dynamic, evocative imagery.

**Golden Wishes**
Lila Mosberger is a second-year senior majoring in visual arts at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Boulder, Colorado and she has been awarded two National Scholastic Art Silver Medals, and numerous Gold and Silver keys. She also received the Best in Show award at the Oliver Arts Center and has been exhibited in NCECA. Her work draws inspiration from the invisible worlds shaped by our dreams and wishes, and what they look like when freed from prescribed goals. Next year, she will be attending either MIT, Yale, or the Brown|RISD Dual Degree.

**Unconscious Bloom**
Lila Mosberger is a second-year senior majoring in visual arts at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Boulder, Colorado and she has been awarded two National Scholastic Art Silver Medals, and numerous Gold and Silver keys. She also received the Best in Show award at the Oliver Arts Center and has been exhibited in NCECA. Her work draws inspiration from the invisible worlds shaped by our dreams and wishes, and what they look like when freed from prescribed goals. Next year, she will be attending either MIT, Yale, or the Brown|RISD Dual Degree.

**Magic Wood**
Lila Mosberger is a second-year senior majoring in visual arts at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Boulder, Colorado and she has been awarded two National Scholastic Art Silver Medals, and numerous Gold and Silver keys. She also received the Best in Show award at the Oliver Arts Center and has been exhibited in NCECA. Her work draws inspiration from the invisible worlds shaped by our dreams and wishes, and what they look like when freed from prescribed goals. Next year, she will be attending either MIT, Yale, or the Brown|RISD Dual Degree.

**Winter Dawn**
Lila Mosberger is a second-year senior majoring in visual arts at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is from Boulder, Colorado and she has been awarded two National Scholastic Art Silver Medals, and numerous Gold and Silver keys. She also received the Best in Show award at the Oliver Arts Center and has been exhibited in NCECA. Her work draws inspiration from the invisible worlds shaped by our dreams and wishes, and what they look like when freed from prescribed goals. Next year, she will be attending either MIT, Yale, or the Brown|RISD Dual Degree.

**I’m still Here**
Sophie Lisak is a YoungArts visual arts recipient for 2026 as well as an awardee of five Scholastic Art awards. She attends The Roeper School in Birmingham, Michigan and hopes to study both art and math when she attends college in 2027.

**Of Softness and Survival**
Aida El-Hajjar is a junior in high school at the University School of Milwaukee. She is from Palestine, but currently lives in Wisconsin. Her work often explores themes of memory and diaspora, drawing on her background as the granddaughter of refugees. She is currently in AP 2D art. Aida has received a National Scholastic Gold Key for writing, and a Silver Key for art, with 60 regional awards as well over the past four years. While Aida wants to pursue a degree in medicine, she hopes to continue her artistic pursuits as well.

**On Mending**
A junior at CITYHILL Academy, Hyang-Yu Lee explores the fragile and often contradictory nature of healing through sculpture, drawing, and installation. Her work utilizes the physical density of tangled wires and the symbolic act of removing color to examine how individuals navigate "psychological architectures" of self-protection. From the dark thresholds of the past to the light of new possibilities, she proposes that restoration is a spatial and temporal process that connects our inner shadows to the outside world.

**small mountain village**
Eric Chen is a sophomore attending Shanghai American School Puxi. He is a native of Hong Kong but spent the majority of his life in Shanghai. He is an avid philosopher, writer, debater, and most of all, photographer. He wishes to observe the interactions of people with interesting architecture in the metropolis he resides in. Recently, he received a National Silver Key from Scholastic Art and Writing, as well as three Gold Keys in the state of New York. Next year, he will be a junior and intends to continue his ventures into photography.

**Smallest Sanctuary**
Chris Ahn is a student at Seoul International School, Korea, an emerging young artist whose work explores the relationship between structure, space, and meaning across both microscopic and architectural scales. His recent series includes Smallest Sanctuary, Shifted Structure, The Breath of Form, and Circulation System, where he investigates how forms—from radiolarian skeletons to historical monuments like the Berlin Wall—can be reinterpreted through shifts in scale and context. Drawing on scientific observation, architectural thinking, and personal sensory experience, his practice translates invisible systems—such as ecological networks, bodily breath, and collective energy—into visual and spatial compositions.

**Sofa**
Samuel Zhang is a junior at The Harker School in San Jose, California, and is originally from Palo Alto, California. His work explores the intersection of visual art, design, and real-world issues, often focusing on how creative expression can address contemporary challenges. He has received recognition for his interdisciplinary projects, including 1st Place at the IgniteCS Expo and 2nd Place at the GameGala Competition for his “StepWise” device, for which he also holds a provisional US patent, as well as the 2024 Voice of Democracy Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In addition to his design work, he has published research on synthetic biology and bioethics in a 2025 scholarly review. Drawing inspiration from both scientific inquiry and artistic exploration, Samuel aims to create work that is both visually compelling and conceptually meaningful as he continues to develop his artistic and academic pursuits.

T6
Violet Hay grew up in Taos, New Mexico and spent her sophomore to senior year of high school living between Taos and Santa Fe to pursue an arts education at New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA). Her upbringing in a rural town close to nature contributed to her interest in natural forms. Hay’s artwork often depicts a distortion of natural forms and people using both 2D and 3D media including charcoal, paper, cardboard, and collage. During Hay’s time at NMSA she has been a part of both the Music and Visual Arts departments, studying music sophomore year and switching to Visual Arts junior year. During her two years in Visual Arts she participated in the Young Curators Internship at SITE Santa Fe and the following exhibitions: “All for One,” “Perspective,” and “Envision.” Hay plans on pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Studio Art this upcoming school year at Colorado College.

**The Disappearing Sky**
Athena Yip is a junior high school student from Hong Kong, where she attends Chinese International School. Born and raised in the city, her artwork draws directly from the intense density of Hong Kong’s urban space, which she translates into intricate compositions exploring space and time. She has secured over 5,000 HKD from the CIS Student Dream Fund, co-founded and served as chief editor of *Azalea Magazine* with 3 issues and 1,000+ reads.

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_1.png

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_2.png

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_3.png

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_4.png

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_5.png

1778768055040-db0a8287-7219-4f8e-bf9b-c7dccedbc17d_6.png

The Unwinding

Samuel Zhang is a junior at The Harker School in San Jose, California, and is originally from Palo Alto, California. His work explores the intersection of visual art, design, and real-world issues, often focusing on how creative expression can address contemporary challenges. He has received recognition for his interdisciplinary projects, including 1st Place at the IgniteCS Expo and 2nd Place at the GameGala Competition for his “StepWise” device, for which he also holds a provisional US patent, as well as the 2024 Voice of Democracy Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In addition to his design work, he has published research on synthetic biology and bioethics in a 2025 scholarly review. Drawing inspiration from both scientific inquiry and artistic exploration, Samuel aims to create work that is both visually compelling and conceptually meaningful as he continues to develop his artistic and academic pursuits.

VISUAL ARTS 2026

2026 Individual Visual Art