This piece was inspired by artist Vanessa German, especially her sculptures using found objects. I admire the way her pieces are so detailed and expressive, how she captures such emotion in them, the way she uses pattern and color, and most of all how fun they are to look at. I knew I wanted to draw inspiration from her style, especially her use of fabric bundles wrapped in fiber and her use of found objects with emotional significance, and create my own found object sculpture, with the subject being a recurring character in my work: one of my beasts. I repurposed many pieces of clothing that had been sitting in the back of my closet for years, no longer worn but too nostalgic to get rid of, as well as old trinkets, and gave them a new life. My beast is based upon themes of emancipation, community, personal/family history, and play. His limbs are raised towards the sky, rejoicing. He is a reflection of myself, an amalgamation of keepsakes and emotions, the animal of my memory staring right back at me on the wall.