In my piece, I wanted to show a memory of my brother and I playing on a walking piano together. This was inspired by the poem titled “Community” by Jade Umwali.

To me, it was a poem about relationships full of love and connections that can also have darker, more opposing aspects.

Reflected on the mirror in silver, I show us in our animalistic forms where I am a bird and my brother is a hippo. Despite how different hippos and birds act and look, they help each other out. The Oxpecker bird, eating bugs and parasites off the hippo, protects the hippo from disease. While the hippo unknowingly provides the bird with a meal in return. At times my brother and I feel different– to the point where we feel we’re from different planets. However, because of our differences, we end up having fun and unique experiences together.

“Even though we are very close and have always been together, we are also very different and strangers at times.”

In “Celebration of Youth,” my brother and me are dancing and playing on the piano together. Fighting for the other to either stop or continue while playing loudly (and terribly) in public.