I Am Tamil

When I tell people I am Tamil, very rarely do people know what that is. Growing up in the United States, code-switching language and cultural behaviors is second nature. Because of this, I spent much of my childhood resenting my Tamil heritage.

This project is my way to find my way to balance the complexities of my language, my culture, and my identity in a way that makes me proud. With each piece, I hope to reconnect to the Tamil language and history.

Client

Me, Myself, and I

Role

Illustrator

Team

Me, Myself, and I

Play /

I Am Tamil

Illustration, Typography, Graphic Media

I mocked up what a showing would look like. I did this for fun to motivate me to keep pushing to make this type of art to stay connected to Tamil, even if I sometiems I feel like I am catching up for what I lost.

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

An Exhibition

Don't Give Up Your Confidence

ஊக்கமது கைவிடேல் - Ūkkamatu kaiviṭēl

"Don't give your confidence."

2023

Learning Two Languages at Once

When I was younger, I would often confuse Tamil and English characters. Tamil has around 256 letters, while English has 26, but the sound variations would become jumbled in my mind.