Ariana Valdez

This artwork is a memorial piece to my father who passed away last December. To honor him, I decided to use his personal materials from his wood shop. I made a maltese  cross to symbolize his firefighting career—and his portrait was wood-burned in the middle. Each burn mark is a symbol of my love and respect for him, and every line and detail seems to be an extension of him. It serves as a reminder that, despite his physical absence, his spirit and influence endure in my artwork.