Multimedia artist Teresa Song is keen on honing her craft across both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. She’s explored digital art, oils, charcoal, dress-making, and has her sights currently set on learning watercolors, knitting, and crocheting. This month, she shares her comic “Conformity,” a thoughtful, geometric portrait of society that creates a compelling message for inclusion.
Would you tell us a bit about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
Hi! My name is Teresa Song and I am a rising freshman in San Jose, California. In my earliest memories, I remember toddling around the living room and gazing upon a delicately framed drawing of a little girl with blond locks that my mother created as a child. Though the drawing itself is now a blurry recollection, I vividly remember my determination to one day draw as well as my mother. My mother was the first person to captivate me into the world of art, but she is far from the only. Since I could hold a pencil, countless people have guided me, introducing new mediums and techniques.
How did you initially conceptualize the idea behind your comic, “Conformity?”
My initial inspiration behind “Conformity” came from reading Romeo and Juliet in my eighth-grade English class. Even during the 14th century in which Romeo and Juliet existed, society dictated much of everyday life, setting restrictions on marriage and women’s rights, amongst others. Hundreds of years later, despite inclusion efforts, we still shun those who do not follow the norm – the people labeled “different.” While drawing “Conformity,” I wanted to evoke the tragic emotions felt in Romeo and Juliet. The comic ends with the cycle of exclusion beginning anew because this problem has not yet been solved and will continue to pass on to future generations. Through my comic, I hope to compel readers to reflect on our society and galvanize them into taking action.
What would you say is your biggest influence as an artist?
In my 14 years of existence I can confidently claim that far more than 140 people are responsible for inspiring me in my art career. From Instagram posts to my day-one supporters, it is difficult to find one single person or thing responsible for influencing me the most. However, the first that comes to mind is my family and my art teachers at Calcolor Academy. I have attended Calcolor Academy continuously since I was seven, switching to digital art on Zoom classes during the Covid pandemic. After the Pandemic, I took classes with Sean and have followed him since.
I understand you also paint and make clothing. How would you say your process differs between each artistic medium?
Though the physical similarities between an oil painting and a dress are hard to name, the first step for everything I create is the same. First and foremost, I have an idea and a message I want to convey. Sometimes the underlying message is glaringly obvious while other times it is intricately subtle. Aside from practice to develop my technical skills, all my pieces strive to evoke thought and emotion.
What’s next for you? Is there anything you’d like to further explore with your art in the future?
There are so many more things I have yet to try. I’ve wanted to try watercolor and have recently started watching YouTube tutorials by talented artists. I also want to learn how to crochet and knit to diversify my 3D art. Art is a lifelong hobby and the mediums and possibilities are truly endless.
Teresa Song is a freshman at the Harker School in San Jose, California. She is a Scholastic Gold Medalist. In her free time, she creates haute couture-esque clothing and grinds Tetris.
VAGABOND CITY 