I make ideas move.
I’ve always been one to think outside the box and create crazy, weird ideas in my head. Since I was small, I’ve imagined my own worlds—creating stories, going on adventures, and finding ways to interact with my favorite fictional characters.
In late middle school and early high school, I was introduced to manga and anime. Four series grabbed me and became massive inspirations on my artistic path: My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi, Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama, Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima, and One Piece by Eiichiro Oda.
All of these artists have made a big impact on me, especially Horikoshi and Toriyama. Their work made me want to create what they create: beautiful stories with amazing character designs, funny moments, spectacular panels, and exciting animation adaptations.
Horikoshi’s world of superpowered humans—with abilities called Quirks—is everything I could love about a story. The way he writes Izuku Midoriya and develops the entire cast throughout the series pulled me in from the moment one of my best friends showed me the manga and we began watching the anime together.
I’m also a sucker for action and big robots. Growing up with the CGI in movies like Transformers, Pacific Rim, and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films made me even more obsessed with the world of art. Anime and manga may be my biggest inspirations, but learning motion design—and learning from the wonderful peers and instructors I’ve met throughout my artistic journey—has made creating feel even more special.