Rajanya Majumdar Biswas

Art was never just a single flip of the switch for me. I fell in love with– and out of – the practice many times over the years. My interest started with my time spent with my dad at three years old – he would draw cartoons in a shabby sketchbook, and I would be enraptured. Through the years, I began to treat art as a tool to differentiate myself from others, and it lost the magic and wonder it once held for me. After taking a break and watching animations such as Bread Winner or seeing the photographs by Mou Aysha, I found that spark again. The authenticity and emotion in their art spoke to me.  Currently, I aim to highlight underrepresented voices through the various technical aspects such as composition, perspective, contrast, and use of color.  In the future, I hope to continue this pursuit, as I shift my work into more rigorous experimentation. I believe that innovation and societal change can only be reached if one takes risks, so I hope to continuously develop my courage to do so. I also wish to blur the lines between all artistic mediums and allow people to see art for what I believe it represents: the merging of our love, memories, grief, and so much more. Combining animation, photography, and music I will foster the sharing stories of underrepresented and marginalized communities and take initiative for social change in the future.

9th to 12th grade