My name is Sophia Lucia and I’m a 21 year old Florida based painter and illustrator. I’ve been an artist ever since I could hold a pencil and some of the things that inspired me growing up were watching cartoons, taking art classes at the library, and seeing public art installations around my city. I’m currently pursuing my bachelors of fine arts with a specialization in painting at the University of Central Florida. The series I’m currently working on consist of large scale illustrative paintings featuring unique characters. Through these works I seek to create my own universe where I can investigate childhood and nostalgia.

Meet Chace Bailey, a 20-year-old painter, digital designer, and content creator from Indiana. She is currently a Psychology major and Spanish minor at Hampton University, with plans to become an Art Therapist. Deeply passionate about the intersection of creative expression and mental wellness, Chace aims to use art to bypass the limitations of traditional talk therapy. She is passionate about using colors, shapes, and creative storytelling to spark empathy and promote mental wellness. She is excited to bring her perspective, creativity, and energy to this cohort!

Kendall Robinson is a Washington, DC–based portrait artist, international muralist, and children’s book illustrator. She earned her B.F.A. in Painting from Howard University and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. As a proud member of Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Kendall’s work explores creativity, culture, and social themes. Her work has been featured through collaborations with Beats by Dre, Warner Music Group, Universal Pictures Art Basel Miami Beach and more. Her murals have been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a permanent installation at the National Museum of African American Music and two government-commissioned murals in Santander, Spain.

I'm Fangzi Luo, a Chinese visual artist based in New York and the founder of Fie Studio. I earned my BFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in 2026. My paintings always begin with spontaneous and uncontrolled marks. I first pour, press, and transfer the paints onto canvas and rice paper, letting forms emerge before I decide what they mean. Then I work back into those loose marks with acrylic, ink, and Chinese lacquer, adding precise lines and patterns inspired by nature, the subconscious, and my fascination with lines that push beyond boundaries. My work has been shown internationally, in places like YIHE Art Museum, RIVAA Gallery, A Space Gallery, and SVA Chelsea Gallery.

My name is Makayla Castillo, I am a painter at the Maryland Institute College of Art. My passion for art grew from my love of sharing my work online, starting as a illustrator as a child on Instagram. I then started utilizing pencil and ballpoint pen to create vibrant versions of reality. When starting art school I discovered I could take my passion for expressive, innate uses of pigments and mark making into the mode of painting. My love for creative exploration and experimentation has also driven me to explore more mediums such as animation, immersive art, and sculpture. I explore my identity, my Indigenous and Latin-immigrant ancestry, as well as my journey of becoming through a broad range of visual elements.

Sulan creates dreamscapes and explores abstract, imaginary worlds through her large-scale oil paintings. Currently based in San Francisco, art is her sanctuary within the tech bubble! She's currently taking a leave from Brown to pursue her startup (Vyra) - balancing content creation alongside her work.

Meech, formally known as Demetrios Gianakis, is an emerging student artist raised in Northern New Jersey, now attending Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). His style features bold colors, textures, and compositions. He specializes in painting with a goal to create larger scale pieces and murals with spray paint. His art is always evolving as experimentation is part of his craft.

Hi! I’m Nat, a senior at SVA (School of Visual Arts) in NYC studying 3D Animation and Visual Effects. Outside of that I love scrapbooking, 2D animating, drawing in my sketchbook, and painting. I also love cats, udon, and traveling!

My name is Grace. I’m 24 years old and a senior at the Cleveland institute of Art. When I’m not creating art I enjoy thrifting and making content for TikTok and instagram.