Intimacy is Scary But I Crave Touch

When I meet other people, I worry about whether or not they can understand or accept who I am- as an artist, as a Vietnamese-American, or as a queer person. Opening myself up can be scary, especially when I feel like I exist outside the mainstream of society. Although, living in the safety of shyness closes off opportunities to connect both physically and emotionally. This piece was made to express my desire for physical touch using stuffed animals as a surrogate for another person. I wanted to lay my vulnerability bare in hopes that a viewer will get a better sense of who I am.