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Let art talk

  • Kayla Landers

    • In the piece “False Safety,” Rojas used bright colors, including magenta, pink, cyan, blue, purple, and orange. She explained that the piece shows pomegranates hanging down, with the little seeds as eyes, and they are chasing the two flowers in the same area. Image courtesy of Jazmin Rojas

    Student communicates emotions through handmade art

    By Kayla Landers, May 5, 2026

    When she was around 8 or 9 years old, visual communication design student Jazmin Rojas really wanted a Nintendo DS. But instead of just writing the name down, she drew it. She said she never made any handwritten lists, only drawings. 

    From making hand-drawn lists of gifts she wanted to creating chalk art as a child, Rojas unknowingly began paving a path that would ultimately lead her to pursue art as a career.  

    Rojas said art has always interested her. She loved the concept of art and creating, not only as a fun activity but also as an outlet for expression and communication. 

    “I think it was also easier, especially since my parents are Hispanic,” Rojas said. “And it was like, if I say DS, they’re not going to understand what that is.” 

    She knew if she drew out what she wanted, her parents would be able to go to the store and get it without having to use words. Rojas said the simple exchange of drawings is what started her passion for art. 

    As time has progressed, her creative process and the meaning behind creating art have developed into something more. For example, in a ceramics class she took in fall 2025, Rojas combined a historical piece, which in her case was an Aztec spine, with the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. 

    Rojas loves ceramics, but the cost of the hobby can be a lot, which has led her to make her own clay from household ingredients, which allows her to pursue her projects without breaking the bank. Image courtesy of Jazmin Rojas

    Though Rojas didn’t know the reasoning behind the creation of the Aztec piece, it caught her eye and led her to create her version. “The Spine” will be on display during the Poly-Kroma event at the Kellogg University Art Gallery until May 17. 

    “I just try to bring in things that I feel connected to,” Rojas said. “I feel like that inspires me, and I bring it into my work.”  

    Art provides a nonverbal channel to articulate emotions, thoughts and experiences that may be difficult to express physically, according to the California Learning Resource Network. These experiences and the identity of an artist can contribute to the uniqueness of art, according to Andrew Davis, an interdisciplinary general education lecturer. 

    “What you bring together, both in what you’ve studied and past experiences and stuff, gives you a unique perspective that, if you trust it, can lead you into directions that nobody else could have gone,” Davis said.  

    Rojas explained that with her projects, she may have a plan at the beginning of the piece, but she works intuitively, doing what feels right. If she does not like how a piece is going, she will destroy it and start over. Image courtesy of Jazmin Rojas
    For her piece “The Spine,” she had taken inspiration from an old Aztec piece that she explained looked like a pillar with little cones on the side. From there, she wanted to make it more complex, so she molded it to look more realistic. Image courtesy of Jazmin Rojas

    Corey Cormona, an electromechanical systems engineering technology student, said creativity is incredibly helpful because it helps people branch out and create better ideas that lead to greater amounts of innovation.  

    Davis explained one of the biggest challenges of creativity isn’t solving a problem, but finding the right project to work on.  

    In a painting course Rojas took, she explained she was having difficulty coming up with an idea for a project about creating a space that tells a story. Her professor instructed her to lean into her stressors and create what came to her, and that’s where she came up with the idea for her piece “False Safety.” Rojas noted she came up with the name because sometimes people feel safe at home, even if home might be the most dangerous place for a person. 

    At the time of its creation, she learned about some familial issues and was going through a tough time with school.  

    “I feel like that’s a really strong one because of the color competition that I did and then the composition itself, how I organized the plants and the colors,” Rojas said. “I feel like that one speaks a lot.”  

    The hardest part of Rojas’ creative process is expressing herself. She believes that artists have a responsibility to make the world a better place, whether it’s for the best or the worst in their work. Image courtesy of Jazmin Rojas

    Now Rojas keeps the painting hidden because it’s so bright it hurts her eyes to look at it, but she explained that was the point of it. She added it is difficult for her to convey her emotions through her work because she leans into depressing themes, which is hard for people to read. 

    Rojas said it is annoying in the sense that she puts so much time and effort into the piece to have people look at it and wonder what it is and why she painted that, rather than something happier.  

    “I want you to feel what I’m feeling in that moment,” Rojas said. “I think that’s like a huge challenge, being able to express yourself through your work.”  

    Every stroke in her pieces has a meaning that she wants the viewer to recognize that. Her work is up for interpretation unless she explicitly specifies the meaning, but Rojas considers it a win if people feel weird or can’t stop looking at her pieces. 

    “I think that’s the whole point of it,” Rojas said. “It should make them feel a little bit uncomfortable.” 

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