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Japera Garard - Half Hollow Hills High School East - 11th Grade Winner
Japera Garard is a 17-year-old student at Half Hollow Hills High School East and proudly won a $1,000 scholarship for her art project, “Philautia" (φιλαυτία). She’s been involved in the arts for years, including orchestra and choir, and sees art as her way of expressing herself.
Outside of art, Japera is a pageant queen, a varsity swimmer for four years, and has run track for two. She’s also spent two years doing community service with Energeia for Teens, helping with beach cleanups and school library projects. Despite a busy schedule with over eight AP classes and working as a swim instructor, she’s dedicated to both her academics and her team.
Philautia
When encountering the prompt "compassion," I immediately brainstormed contexts wherein compassion finds essential application. Initially, I gravitated towards the act of painting individuals aiding other individuals, regardless of age or circumstance, which shows a beautiful connection that inspires me wholeheartedly. Yet, surprisingly absent in this thought process was self-compassion, this realization deeply concerned me, as I realized the need for compassion directed inward.
This realization struck a chord because, throughout my past years of experiencing high school, middle school, and elementary school, I fixated on the challenge of socializing and fitting into the "respectable groups" for me. Midst these struggles, extending grace and love towards myself emerged as an intimidating task, as my expectations and self-imposed standards skyrocketed as time went on.
The inspiration for this painting lies in my quest to showcase the essence of self-love and compassion—a semi-realistic portrayal serving as a visual testament to this inner journey. The blue lines around the heads and body symbolize energy that is manifested after "hugging oneself". The creative process, though taxing, proved worth it as I have learned to be gentle with myself. This was the first time I challenged myself to create a large work of art- something never conquered before. Ultimately, this endeavor served as a sturdy reminder to cultivate self-compassion, recognizing thattending love and empathy outward, necessitates first embracing oneself with kindness and compassion.
