LACES Sole 23-24

ANGEL GABRIEL

Parker Meir ‘27

GRAND GATEWAY

Mick Everist ‘25

NOSEDIVE

Lucas Lee ‘24

UNTITLED

Sophia Fagan ‘27

LOVE

Ollie Cunningham ‘25

TEETH

MY UNICORN.

Cirrus Dodd ‘27

And the soldiers came, and they came in great hordes, why? I didn’t know then and I can’t say for certain now. I’ve heard there has been some fight amongst kings; land, money, power… all concepts I could not quite grasp at that age. And the soldiers came, the fires came, Death came. I can still feel that fire, hot and dry, burning any moisture in my throat or eyes, stinging like the thistles in the field behind my home. Those thistles are gone now, burnt along with my house, the dirt watered with the blood of my neighbors.

I am told the fighting started before I had been born, there was a feeling my whole childhood of a looming day to come, I heard whispers of it though they never made their way into my mind until now. I was protected from the horrors then. There was a tall white horse. The horse I believed was a unicorn. I remember it casting a glow when it would visit me at night and I remember a long pearlescent horn, its base buried in the white riglets of its wild mane. Its eyes were kind yet all-knowing, unlike any mere animal I have seen since. I know, of course, It couldn’t be possible but in my memory, it was not a white horse, but indeed a unicorn. My Unicorn. But still, the soldiers came, with their swords and their arrows and their fire.

They turned the night into day.

And fires burned for hours, and hours, and hours, they seemed never to stop. And on the fourth hour, the fires took my mother and I stumbled down the hot dirt road for hours just to get away from her cold, burning body, and when I could no longer walk I collapsed; falling across the cool, blood-slicked coat of the tall white horse. My Unicorn. And I looked up, into the eyes of a soldier who had brought this fire. It’s been so many years since that night, but my eyes will never forget his face, lit by the bright orange flames, stained with warm blood, and yet as gray and cold as stone. Bringer of death, bringer of pain, thief of my childhood; killer of My Unicorn.

Lizbeth Fuentes ‘24

I. kai Spatzier

JAZZ PIANIST

EUROPE-BOUND JAZZ PRODIGY TAKES THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. MENTOR TO LACES PIANISTS, STUDENT TO MASTER PROFESSORS. A DIVE INTO HIS HISTORY, HIS PHILOSOPHY, AND THE MEANING OF MUSICAL CREATION.

STORY BY TAIZO NAKAYAMA

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARCIN SPATZIER

Photographed with thanks to: Pierre’s Fine Pianos 1103 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles,

I. INTRODUCTION

DEDICATION TO THE CRAFT.

Senior jazz pianist Kai Spatzier has cemented a storied musical legacy at LACES. His achievements range from playing with the LAUSD All-City Band at the Hollywood Bowl to taking home the Soundtrap Southern California Beat Battle’s grand prize.

“You can tell that he’s done his research,” said Mr. Leroy Lubin, who has mentored Spatzier for four years as the LACES Jazz Band director. As an accomplished trumpet player himself, Lubin has performed at several high-profile events including the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony and the Billboard Music awards. “He’s listened to a lot of different genres and older generations of jazz musicians. He’s quoting them—not just regurgitating what they play, but really infusing himself into it and being creative.”

Spatzier has indeed done his research — asking his professional musician teacher, rummaging through CDs, or using the “shuffle” feature on Spotify for new discoveries. His eyes shine as he rattles off the oldschool artists he’s inspired by: Bill Evans for his “horizontal development and chordal expansion,” Keith Jarrett for his “motivic playing,” Brad Mehldau for “being true to what he plays.”

With his ample jazz experience and musical knowledge, Spatzier has established himself as a foundational facet of the LACES Jazz Band.

“They’re looking to him as a leader, especially now he’s in his senior year,” Lubin said. “They’re looking to his cues on the solo section — how he wants to format things, being creative on vamps (recurring patterns in jazz) and how they want to start a tune, finish a tune.”

Professional drummer Izaak Weatherwax was impressed with Spatzier’s musical proficiency when he began assisting Lubin with the LACES Jazz Band this year. He also leads the Izaak Weatherwax quartet and performs around Los Angeles.

“He has gotten some serious time under the piano, practicing really important foundational work,” Weatherwax recalled his initial impression of Spatzier. “He’s worked out all the scales, he pays attention to the harmonic structure of a tune, knows how to navigate through changes and play different voicings. It shows a lot of commitment to learning the music and learning it with utmost sincerity.”

II. EARLY DEVELOPMENT

MUSICAL PROMISE.

“As a child, he was this tiny little creature obsessed with music,” said Aga Spatzier, the pianist’s mother. “There’s plenty of pictures where Marcin’s playing and he’s there listening. Pounding on the guitar, doing all sorts of beats on his own. Joy, joy, joy, to a point where in his daycare, we provided little ukuleles for this whole group — (Marcin: “And a guitar!”) — and a guitar because Kai brought a whole musical piece with Marcin into the daycare.”

His father, Marcin Spatzier, immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1992 with the dream of making a living as a jazz musician. He said he initially didn’t expect his son to get into jazz.

“For the longest time, music had to have drums and guitar and vocals for him,” Marcin said about young Spatzier’s music preferences. “He just wouldn’t listen to anything instrumental — I tried, and he was screaming, ‘Oh, no drums, and guitar and vocal!’ And I figured, okay, well, he’ll never listen to jazz! (Laughs) It’s just not in the cards.”

Spatzier’s musical family performance as a toddler. Photo courtesy of Marcin Spatzier.

Marcin recalled his surprise at Spatzier’s reaction to songs he played on car rides.

“By the time the second chorus came on, he already knew it,” Marcin said. “So on the first listening on the chorus, he was able to memorize the melody. That’s pretty rare.”

Recognizing Spatzier’s musical potential, Marcin and Aga enrolled him with a local classical piano teacher when he was eight years old. However, Spatzier began to harbor feelings of resentment towards practicing after several years on the piano.

“I was a fifth grader and I was like, ‘I want to do anything else than spend 30 minutes a day sitting with this instrument that I suck at,’” said Spatzier. “That constant repetition of mistakes really ate away at me.”

Struggling with his stagnating musical improvement, Spatzier stumbled upon jazz when he witnessed a surprise jazz performance at a classical piano recital he performed in.

“I asked my dad, ‘Where’s their music [sheets]? How are they doing that?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, they’re improvising.’ ‘What? What is improvising? That’s crazy.’ I wanted to do that. That was the start of it — my initial curiosity led me in.”

I realized that jazz is so much more creative. I find more joy in creating music. That’s really spontaneous, you know? Anything can happen at any moment.

With encouragement from Marcin, Spatzier enrolled in a five-week jazz workshop at Crossroads School after his 5th-grade culmination.

“I picked him up on the last day — he got in the car and said, ‘I want to come back and play jazz,’” Marcin recalled.

Spatzier enrolled at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music the following fall, where he began to pursue an intensive jazz education in an ensemble setting. He also started lessons with a local jazz musician, Stuart Elster.

“My initial impression [of jazz] was, ‘Aw, I have no idea what I’m doing. Jazz is so hard!’” Spatzier said, laughing. “It’s literally like learning another language. When you start playing, you learn some chords. And then someone tells you to take a solo. ‘Well — where do I even start? What notes do I play? How do I know what’s right?’ You keep second-guessing yourself.”

However, Spatzier said the fundamental nature of jazz appealed to him as he dug deeper.

“I realized that jazz is so much more creative,” he said. “I find more joy in creating music. That’s really spontaneous, you know? Anything can happen at any moment. And I find that a lot more enjoyable to play than classical.”

Spatzier practices on his apartment room piano. The base of the piano is lifted from the floor and he has a 10PM practice cutoff as to not disturb his neighbors.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

III. SPONTANEITY IN CONTEXT

THERE ARE NO WRONG NOTES IN JAZZ.

Spatzier currently learns under professional pianist Vardan Ovsepian, whose teaching history ranges from the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy to the Berklee School of Music. Spatzier cited Ovsepian as one of his biggest inspirations.

“The only reason I’m as experimental, technically proficient, or anything as I am now is because he really expanded my brain to new possibilities when I’m playing,” Spatzier said. “I started very traditional, but as I played with him, he realized I’m more attracted to those modern sounds. So he opened that door for me.”

“But there’s instances where you have to mind the audience or the tune that you’re playing. If you’re playing at a nursery home, you don’t want to go — [plays funky modern jazz riff] — they’re not gonna like that. They want the — [plays traditional jazz riff] — just really traditional stuff. So that’s what I mean by context.”

With accumulated experience, Spatzier has been liberated from performance anxiety and perfectionism that plagued his early years facing the piano. “There’s always the adrenaline you get from going on stage and actually performing,” he admitted. “But once I realized my worth, that’s when I was like, ‘Ah, now I can be free.’ There’s no point in fretting over mistakes you can make because it hasn’t happened yet. There’s nothing to worry about once you start the song,

Once I realized my worth, that’s when I was like, ‘Ah, now I can be free.’ There’s no point in fretting over mistakes you can make because it hasn’t happened yet. There’s nothing to worry about once you start the song, other than just trying to serve the music.

Although the jazz genre is defined by its spontaneity, Spatzier said he keeps tools under his belt to outline those impromptu diversions. Beyond the standard musical patterns he inserts, Spatzier utilizes variations he learned from Ovsepian, specifically his practice book Fractal Limit.

“It’s a bunch of crazy exercises,” he says as he plays a section of the exercise. Starting at the center of the keyboard, the complex melody expands in opposite directions — seemingly chaotic, yet harboring a distinct musical pattern.

“It’s a really modern sound, so you can’t just shove it in anywhere, right? I can’t just go —” He begins a solo, with a jarring sudden transition into the full fractal expansion. “That doesn’t sound good. But—”

He plays the solo again, introducing the bits of the ‘fractal pattern’ first, then led into the full rolling melody. “I justified it by introducing that idea earlier,” he explains as he lifts his hands from the keys. “You can make it work in context.”

Spatzier also takes his audience and setting into account when weaving impromptu performances.

“I try to keep my solo true to what I’m imagining in my head as often as I possibly can,” he said.

other than just trying to serve the music. That’s what I think of now when I play — ‘How can I make this collective sound better?’”

Similarly to his mindset towards performing music, Spatzier maintains an unconfined approach to considering music.

“When I think about jazz, I imagine it as more of a scope than something you can define other genres by,” he said. “I wouldn’t say there’s a sub-genre I like — I just like jazz. I find it almost a disservice to throw things into categories sometimes because it could misinterpret what the artist wants their song to be.”

IV. MENTORSHIP

GUIDING THE NEXT GENERATION.

As a fourth-year in the LACES Jazz Band, Spatzier has taken sophomore Benjamin Rahav and freshman Gian-Marco Algeriam under his tutelage. Lubin encouraged Spatzier to grow as a musician by helping others reinforce his internalized lessons. With a smile, Lubin recalled when he first assigned the mentees to Spatzier.

“He came up to me asking, ‘Mr. Lubin, how do I teach swing?’ And I’m just like, ‘Welcome to the life of being a teacher!’” He smiled. “You just have to be creative and think about how you internalized it.”

Rahav first saw Spatzier’s performance in the jazz band as an 8th grader. Even as he joined the classical-oriented LACES orchestra, his mind was on Spatzier’s performance he witnessed.

“In 8th grade, I watched him solo, and that really inspired me to get more into music. And when I was in the orchestra, I wanted to make it into the jazz band,” Rahav said. “That was my inevitable goal.”

Spatzier said he was initially at a loss at where to start with his newfound mentees.

“I know all these complex musical strategies and techniques and all this garbage and they don’t,” Spatzier said. “So obviously, I can’t just go up to them and be like, ‘Hey, play that chord altered and in your right hand, and put an upper structure of the flat five.’ They’ll be like, ‘What the ****?’”

He compared the process to speaking a different language, describing the struggle of conveying abstract concepts so his mentees can understand and use them.

and over again,” said Spatzier. “That’s where I started from — I learned every single II-V-I and every single key. And then from there, everything kind of shot up because a jazz standard is essentially just II-V-Is.”

Despite Spatzier’s preoccupation with preparing for auditions in his senior year, Rahav said his mentor is always open for questions during jazz class.

“He’ll break down what he’s doing and how he’s doing it, and if I have any questions for exercises or voicings to practice,” Rahav said. “They’re the kind of universal things that’ll help me have a base so I can teach myself other things – it’s really handy.”

“Or — it’s like trying to teach someone how to walk,” Spatzier said. “You know, ‘Take my two feet and move!’ It’s tough.”

Spatzier began by teaching the younger pianists II-V-Is: a progression of three chords in jazz that leads to a musical “resolution” in the final chord. The I chord’s resolution brings a feeling of release in music after developing tension with the II and V chords — almost like exhaling after holding a deep breath. The II-V-I is the most common chord progression in jazz.

“The way they learn now is through repetition, so I give them a drill to work on and they do that over

Spatzier’s leadership of the jazz band is seen even in everyday practice sessions. Pianists crowd around Spatzier as the song begins: Betty Carter’s arrangement of “Thou Swell,” a jazz standard. Rahav pulls out his phone, asking if he can record and take notes. “Sure,” says Spatzier with a laugh, “but I’m really not that good.”

Several minutes into the run-through, Spatzier’s solo commences. Though the mentees’ phones are aimed at his hands, their eyes are glued to him; Rahav lets out a quiet chuckle as Spatzier concludes the solo.

Spatzier also has help from LACES instructors in his mentorship venture. As a professional drummer, Weatherwax coordinates some of the communication within the trio piano-bass-drums dynamic.

“I’ll be facilitating some of that jargon and get them to understand how to speak to each other in a really efficient manner,” Weatherwax said. “And he’s already pretty good about talking to bass players and he understands how to structure baselines.”

Given Spatzier’s natural leadership of the trio, Weatherwax is excited to see how Spatzier expresses “what he wants in the music to happen.”

Spatzier and bassist Ishaan Jain notate a sheet together.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

“He does have the most experience out of everybody,” Weatherwax said. “He’s taking the reins in terms of song selection and arranging, so we’ll see how that pans out.”

V. professional life

TO EUROPE AND BEYOND.

Spatzier applied to music schools across the United States and Europe including UCLA, the Berklee College of Music, Switzerland’s Basel Jazz Campus, and the Amsterdam University of the Arts. He ultimately chose the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, a division of the latter European university, upon considering factors such as faculty, tuition, and geographic location.

“[I’m most excited to] get to meet a bunch of people from all over the world and work with them,” Spatzier said. “See how they interpret jazz, see what I can learn from that.”

Spatzier’s parents are supportive of his international ventures in jazz music.

“It’s a different world in terms of music,” said Marcin about the European jazz scene. “But they have enough American jazz players who go there to offer master classes at both schools, so he would not lose touch with American jazz.”

“I mean, it’s so exciting for him. Empty nester syndrome is about to kick in for me, but it’s almost like a full circle, right?” Aga laughed, looking at Marcin and the younger Spatzier. “Marcin left Poland for music and came to America. I followed to explore our relationship further and explore America. We stayed — can you believe it? — all these years. So it’s just this amazing way of life.”

Spatzier also values the influences that colliding jazz worlds would have on his creative musical ventures in Amsterdam.

“It’s also a very international hub,” Spatzier said. “So there’s different influences coming into jazz there. That’s pretty valuable, especially as a writer, because I’m trying to find more global influences and work them into my tunes. And there’s also this European jazz that’s more classically influenced that I recently discovered and started being more attracted to. There’s nowhere else to get it but there.”

Marcin wishes for Spatzier to maintain his close ties with his peers as he enters various new communities in and out of the country.

“The ability to connect with people is important,” said Marcin. “Especially if you’re talking about music, because that’s a tough world to be in. Hustle 24/7, really.”

Lubin agreed and stressed the importance of enjoying the process of musicianship when discussing Spatzier’s future.

“My hope for Kai is that wherever he goes, he just continuously find some joy in playing,” said Lubin. “As we get older, I see some cats get into their careers after [music] school and it gets to the point where it feels like a job — ‘I just need to pay my bills. I just need to have money for my family.’ So I hope he constantly keeps that joy, no matter what happens in life. That he just enjoys being a musician.” +

Mentees Gian-Marco Algeriam, Ian Gopen, and Benjamin Rahav (left-right) watch Spatzier’s solo.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

II. AIDAN ULLOA

& DESIGNER

AFRO-LATINÉ ARTIST TEARING THROUGH LABELS & BOUNDARIES. FOUNDER OF CLOTHING BRAND BÅRAKS SETULMEN. MULTIMEDIA CREATOR SERVING THEIR CULTURAL COMMUNITY.

I. Origins

QUARANTINE AND DEVELOPMENT.

“Ijust tried to expose him to a little bit of everything [growing up],” said Amber Brooks, Aidan Ulloa’s mother. “But the art thing kind of came up came as a surprise.”

She recalled carrying a backpack filled with art materials such as colored pencils and clay to keep Ulloa busy at outside events and nourish their creativity.

“I really think his artsy stuff came from both sides, from me and from his dad,” Brooks said. “Who knew – they were stick figures one day and next thing they were these artistic pieces.”

Mr. Daniel Kuffel’s Beginner’s Art in 6th grade was the first art class Ulloa took at LACES. Kuffel has since then followed Ulloa’s artistic journey for six years, praising their centered creative vision.

“He’s always been technically proficient for his age, but I feel like he’s just grown more and more mature in terms of his vision and his interest every year,” Kuffel said. “He’s always been looking to get deeper into whatever he does.”

Entering the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020 and spending their freshman year in quarantine was critical to Ulloa’s development as an artist.

“Quarantine was a very core moment for everything for me,” said Ulloa, who uses he/they pronouns. “High school is – you have to act a certain way, be a certain way. But I was able to grow in this space where there really weren’t any expectations of me.”

Ulloa began to hone their digital and graphic design skills in 2020 upon a budding interest in manifesting their art into a physical form. They designed their first mock-up clothing design in April 2020.

Ulloa cited creative burnout as another reason they began to transition away from their preexisting art interests over quarantine.

“I felt I was constantly making art for social media presence when it came to fanart. It didn’t feel 100% organic for me,” Ulloa said. “So I eventually began to drift off and build my own catalog of inspirations, and that snowballed into the body of work I have today.”

They founded their brand Båraks Setulmen (inspired by the eponymous background track from the Japanese indie video game “Yume Nikki”) in 2022. Their online store (barakssetulmen.com) opened with its first official collection on January 18, 2024. They use both the brand name and “Dominique Asentamiento”

(Dominique Settlement in Spanish) as monikers for their artistic presence.

“I wouldn’t call them characters because they’re still me,” Ulloa said. “Those parts of myself are still me, but you know, stage names in a way.”

Ulloa’s personal philosophy bleeds into the brand identity of Båraks Setulmen. Pieces from various seasons are emblazoned with phrases such as “I D.A.R.E. You To Do Your Own Thing” and “You Would Make An Awful Me But I Think You Would Make An Amazing You.”

“Båraks Setulmen is being unapologetically yourself,” Ulloa said. “And Båraks Setulmen is all about trying to find beauty in the mundane. Take a moment to smell the flowers.”

Ulloa’s distaste of boxing themselves into an archetype has propelled their artistic growth.

“I don’t like labels,” Ulloa said. “The one thing I will label myself as is an artist. I create, that’s what I do. But I don’t like when people try to put you in a box –’He’s the fan art guy,’ or ’He makes art for them’ – that’s just restricting. So I started going against the grain in a way.”

II. IDENTITY

BREAKING THE MOLD.

Ulloa’s art thrives in subverting expectations. “The fact that I’m doing something so different, and I’m able to defy all the labels that my cross-sectioning identities have imposed upon me, the fact that I can reject that and say, ’Nah, I’m gonna just do my own thing,’” Ulloa said. “It’s really liberating.”

“D.A.R.E” T-shirt, courtesy of Aidan Ulloa.

Ulloa’s racial and ethnic identities have also impacted how they approach their creative ventures.

“As a Black artist, especially an Afro-Latiné one, I don’t see a lot of representation of myself in the fields that I want to go into,” Ulloa said. “Obviously, fashion is a very Eurocentric field, but I used my background and my identity as a tool of empowerment for me.”

One such work encapsulating Ulloa’s attitude is a capstone piece entitled “Black Women Longsleeve.”

Ulloa conceived the T-shirt at the Summer 2023 UCLA VIPS program, an academic advancement program for underrepresented students. Their final project was an ’auto-ethnography’ discussing how their racioethnic background played a role in their life.

“Since we had to go up and verbally present the project at the end of the program, I wanted to make sure that mine stood out,” Ulloa said. “So one of the things that I wrote about was how Black women have shaped my path till now – not only in a literal sense because I’ve been raised in an all-women household, but also because they’ve been my rock since I was little.”

As the youngest member of a three-generation household, Ulloa expressed their gratitude to their mother and grandmother’s support.

“While I still do struggle with mental health issues and depression, my mom and my grandma were always there for me,” said Ulloa. “Everything I do, in the back of my mind, I want to pay it all back to them. So I made that shirt commemorating all the Black women

in my family.”

Ulloa proceeded to sift through old photo albums and family scrapbooks. On the back of the T-shirt, he inserted a lyric from the song “Azukar” by Earl Sweatshirt: “It’s not a Black woman I can’t thank.”

“Ever since I heard that song for the first time, I highly identified with and resonated with that lyric,” said Ulloa. “So I just knew it had to come full circle.”

Presenting the piece had a wide-reaching impact for Ulloa’s immediate and extended family.

“It was very breathtaking when he showed it to us,” recalled Brooks. “My mom was there, I call her my Queenager, and my aunt next door, my other Queenager, was there, and we were all blown away. How it meshed all together – to see the old me, the new me, and family members that have come and go – it really is a piece of art.”

Ulloa also directed the 2024 Black Student Union (BSU) fashion show, where members presented various outfits inspired by African and Black cultures. Ulloa walked out onstage alongside co-director Morgan Mitchell in a highly experimental look that featured a 1/1 Båraks Setulmen headpiece.

“I just knew I had to incorporate my trash motif,” Ulloa said regarding the piece. “I had to outdo myself, I had to figure out something new.”

Inspired by another fashion show’s wig made of pill capsules, Ulloa considered how they could apply their preexisting plastic motif to another medium.

A mockup of the “Black Women All Over” shirt, courtesy of Aidan Ulloa.

“ Black is not a monolith. ”

“I wanted to find a way to make a statement piece for the BSU show,” Ulloa said. “My whole theme for this year’s show was that ‘Black is not a monolith.’”

Ulloa expressed discontent with how their identity is viewed in America.

“I feel like there’s definitely a certain narrative, especially in America, about how to see Black people… whether it be in how we dress, how we act, how we talk,” Ulloa said. “I just want to keep showing folks that – and this can go for any race or any type of identity – there is no one way to ‘be me.’ There is no one way for me to be Latiné, there is no one way for me to be Black.”

Ulloa emphasized that they did their best to inspire confidence in their co-stars at rehearsals leading up to the show.

“Whoever’s coming to see the BSU show, these people are here to celebrate with us,” Ulloa recalled telling their fashion show models. “Just embrace that gaze. Bask in that glory for once. Allow yourself the position to have fun and feel appreciated for who you are.”

Ulloa’s mother Brooks attended the 2023 BSU show and witnessed their walk onstage along with the co-stars they directed.

“I’m a corny mom,” Brooks said. “I work a lot, but I try to be there. Even when he was younger at after school programs, I’ll show up in my FedEx uniform in

a minute. Just gotta be there, you know? I want to be as supportive as I can for him.”

III. Community

INTERCONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCES.

Over years of activity in online and local artist communities, Ulloa has built a network of like-minded artists and designers spanning the country and beyond.

“A lot of the friendships came about through social media,” Ulloa said. “It was more than just mutual appreciation — we both see something unique in each other’s work.”

Ulloa has even collaborated with artists across the continent. Hans, known as Vissereine, is a 23-yearold digital artist and clothing designer based in Canada. They first came across Ulloa’s work with their online video edit for Canadian producer Louka Tessier.

“From my perspective, Aidan’s art feels really authentic and personal,” said Hans. “I feel like their art reflects really well how they are or how they think. It’s as if I understand exactly what they are trying to ex-

Aidan Ulloa and Morgan Mitchell walk out at the 2023 BSU Fashion show. Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

press, even if it can be abstract.”

For their collaboration, each artist used a police sketch software to render uncanny self-portraits. Their goal was to emulate the look of “This Man,” an internet urban legend appearing in people’s dreams. They coined their joint piece the “Visseraks” collaboration.

“I feel that they are doing their art for themselves first, whether it resonates with other people or not, and I feel it’s how I work too,” Hans said. “Also, I think they’re having fun with it — it doesn’t have to be necessarily serious and I love that.”

When Ulloa isn’t creating designs with other artists, they’re expanding their community at art events around LA.

At the Gail Art Gallery hosted by Ulloa’s artist friends, they met Mat Devine, founder of the in-

IV. creative process

REVIVE AND REPURPOSE.

“Personal, thoughtful,” Kuffel described Ulloa’s art. “I feel he’s very much referencing our time, the way he’s using found objects and plastic. I don’t want to call it trash, because he’s upcycling things. I feel like he’s using the materials that most of us often ignore.”

Ulloa first came across the concept of trash art when they found artist Babytrus’ snap bracelets combining leather straps and plastic bags on Instagram.

“I just thought that idea was so genius, because it’s really like turning trash into treasure,” Ulloa said.

For them, plastic was also readily available and a financially feasible option for raw material.

“I didn’t have any formal sewing knowledge, nor did I have ready money to spend on sewing supplies or fabrics,” they said. “It was just a way for me to make ’clothing’ out of something that wasn’t cloth.”

At the Conservatory of the Fine Arts at California State University, Los Angeles, Ulloa worked on an assignment called “Talking Trash” that asked students to create art out of all trash or recycled materials.

“Since I was big into zine-making at the time, I had made a little art booklet out of recycled paper and graphics,” Ulloa recalled. “That’s when I first started finding appreciation in something old, used, something that somebody sees no value in – which is free for me.”

Ulloa’s first “trash item” was a pair of Nike Air Force Ones, where they tied plastic from leftover trash bags around the loops of the shoelaces. Since then, they’ve expanded the practice to a collection of multicolored trash necklaces.

terior design company ILoveHotGarbage.

“I got to meet someone else who not necessarily specialized in trash art, but who also had that same philosophy of thinking trash art was cool,” said Ulloa. “So I was able to show that aspect of my creative process – it made me a little connection.”

Ulloa maintains a genuine attitude towards the process of meeting and interacting with other artists.

“I wouldn’t call it networking because that means you want something out of them,” Ulloa said. “For me, I just show admiration for these folks, and they see something within me. I’m grateful for all the people when it comes to my artwork and the genuine support by my peers and supporters. It all means the world to me as a kid who’s still in high school.”

“It’s like a car – you have the basic fundamentals, but once you have those, you can play around with its appearance,” Ulloa said. “Once you have the barebones minimum, you can start playing around with it as much as you want.”

Ulloa also repurposes previously owned items for new designs. They gestured at their shirt, which they cut excess fabric off at the sleeves and neck the night before this interview.

“I’ve revisited some pieces that I made months ago,” Ulloa said. “I’ll take my X-Acto blade and I’ll distress it a bit, or I’ll cut off the collar of a shirt because I think it looks cool. It adds character and becomes something completely new.”

Ulloa doesn’t hesitate to nurture seeds that sprout for their design ideas.

“Visseraks” featuring the digitally rendered faces of Vissereine and Båraks Setulmen. Courtesy of Aidan Ulloa.

“Whenever I have the idea to go and make something, I’ll design it, throw it into my mockup generator,” they said. “Sometimes, if I have the money, I’ll order it straight away to see what it looks like in person. But it’s definitely something I try not to rush, and I try to embrace it.”

V. FUTURE

CHARTING THEIR OWN PATH.

“When it came time to prepare for college, I was very dead-set that it has to be something in clothes,” Ulloa said.

They described that compounding financial interests and desire to explore beyond California took certain popular art and fashion schools such as the Fashion Institute of Technology or Otis College of Art and Design out of the equation.

“For adulthood, I want to be completely on my own so I can get that sense of security,” Ulloa said. “I knew I wanted to do a major in Fashion Design and Merchandising. And luckily, the top school that I wanted to go to, Clark Atlanta University, had that major.”

Ulloa toured the Clark Atlanta campus in April 2023 and watched a runway show the school’s fashion program had hosted. However, they said they saw more room for growth in what the program offered.

“I just knew that I could bring something new to the table,” they said. “To be able to breathe new life into a field that we’re already not really included in – it’s perfect. I know I gotta go here.”

Ulloa proceeded to commit to Clark Atlanta. They plan to major in Fashion Design and Merchandising but does not have a set destination after graduation.

“I know it’s definitely me making stuff,” they said. “Even if it’s not clothes, I know that creation is going to be something that sticks with me for all my life.”

“I think it’s gonna be a really eye-opening, beautiful experience for him,” Brooks said. “Since he’s biracial, I think it’ll help him embrace his Black and Latin sides. He’ll get a great sense of community down there at an HBCU. We have family down there who can’t wait for him to come, so we’ll have a good support system.”

Ulloa’s dreams are not limited to being a fashion designer.

“By just being me and doing what I do, I hope to be able to pass the baton onto the next generation,” they said. “If I’m not a creative martyr, I just want the little Black and brown kids of the next generation to want to

cap.

“Know that these institutions’ definitions of good art rules do not matter.”

do something creative or want to be themselves. I want them to know that they can do it too. Know that these institutions’ definitions of good art rules do not matter.”

Kuffel also holds high expectations for Ulloa’s future in art and commercializing their work.

“I hope for him to continue to do his fashion line,” Kuffel said. “I hope for him to continue to search out for his vision. I hope he discovers how to market his work and to promote.”

Ulloa has grand aspirations for their future in art and clothing design.

“I just hope to continue to grow my brand, maybe host a pop-up or two,” they said. “I want to continue to meet new people in my field, make friends in my field and continue to learn and thrive. I definitely see it as a quest for knowledge. As of right now, even if I don’t have a sure destination, I’mma be sure to learn stuff along the way.” +

Ulloa photographing trash necklaces for their archive, in the “Clown” hoodie and “Asentamiento”

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

III. chloe park

PAINTER

UNDECIDED

(PSYCHOPATHOLOGY)

STORY BY LEILANI KRANTZ

BY TAIZO NAKAYAMA

When Chloe Park first saw Diego Velázquez’ “Las Meninas,” she was captivated. Velázquez’ depiction of Spanish court life struck her for how the artist manipulated perspective.

“So you see how the perspective of the room makes you feel like you’re inside of the room and everyone is just staring at you? I just like it,” said Park. “It’s cool. I don’t know how to articulate that better.”

Park has been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember. A “messy desk” inside her house stores all of her supplies — except for acrylic paint.

“I’m like acrylic paint’s number one hater,” said Park. “It dries too quickly, it gets all over your paint brushes and if you don’t clean them out in time, they

get stuck there, and you can’t take them out. They get all over your clothes and they don’t wash out and they’re just bad.”

Favoring gouache, marker, and watercolor, Park creates pieces blending surrealism and realism, crafting hauntingly beautiful and sometimes somewhat unsettling scenes. Taking AP Studio Art with Mr. Daniel Kuffel, pieces from Park’s portfolio, including “The Human Body,” have been displayed in the designated case in the orange building. The piece featured large, disembodied human parts floating on a dark canvas.

“So I emphasize what I think is like the most important parts of the body like eyes, and then mouth, teeth, stuff like that,” said Park. “And then I just made them super large. And I made it into like a 2D, I guess,

PHOTO

picture of what I thought the human body was. There wasn’t a deeper meaning. I just thought it was cool. I just like drawing body parts.”

Creativity runs in the family — Park’s older sister, Candace, currently attends the Rhode Island School of Design where she’s majoring in Fine Arts.

“I’m tall, she’s short. She’s 5’1”, I’m 5’7”,” said Park. “We’re very opposite from each other. Like she’s very extroverted, and I’m very introverted.”

The two sisters differ, however, in more than personality traits. Candace’s art tends to lean on the

side of realism, while Chloe’s is more surreal.

“So she’ll do a scene of her and her friends quietly drinking tea, but I would do something that doesn’t make sense,” said Park. “I like making reality more imaginative.”

Despite queries from peers about which art school she’ll be attending next year, Chloe also plans on pursuing a different path than her sister. She did not apply to a single art-focused school, or any art program.

“I feel like once you make your hobby your profession, it kind of becomes something that you’re obligated to do, not something that you want to do,” said Park. “That’s what my motto is: Keep your hobby a hobby.”

Park’s art doesn’t necessarily have an underlying meaning. To her, it’s second nature.

“I’ve just been doing it for so long that it’s kind of like being bilingual. It’s like you can speak that second language, that you can speak it for your whole life,” said Park. “You don’t know why you speak it but you just do.” +

Left-right: “pressure” and “Telepathy” by Chloe Park.

Park paints a mural on a wall of the arts building.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

IV. madeleine wall

PAINTER

UC SAN DIEGO

STORY AND PHOTO BY TAIZO NAKAYAMA

LACES senior Madeleine Wall chose “Nostalgia” as the theme for her AP Studio Art portfolio this year. Her subjects range from family histories to grandiose fictional gatherings. The first piece for her portfolio is a painting depicting her and her brother at a Minnesota lake that’s an annual travel destination.

“My investigation for AP isn’t just nostalgia, but it has more of an emphasis on the happiness and the joy of being young,” she said. “I feel like the sparkles were a good way to portray the positive.”

Animated films from the Japanese Studio Ghibli were among Wall’s sources of inspiration for beginning art during the COVID-19 quarantine.

“I got screenshots of different scenes throughout the different movies and I would try to recreate them,” she said. “The visual aspect definitely caught my eye. I’ve watched the movies since I was a kid so they had a nostalgic feeling.”

“The Ocean Waves,” she says when asked her favorite animated installment from the studio. “And now

I’m noticing the nostalgia trend – the whole movie in itself is just reminiscing. Which is weird because I’m still in my youth, so I don’t know why I feel so nostalgic. That has to be a phenomenon, right?”

When beginning a fresh painting, Wall first considers the feeling she wants to portray in the piece.

“It’s ironic that it’s the part I struggle the most with,” she said. “I capture the feeling and then I have a little sketchbook that I make lots of little thumbnails in. I play around with the different subjects, different points of view. And then I’ll take it to the canvas.”

Wall’s describes her workflow as sporadic. “I get bursts of inspiration,” said Wall. “‘I gotta put paint on the canvas right now.’ Which is probably not a good thing, because it means I have to spend a lot more time going back and redefining areas. Or if I change my mind, it doesn’t look as good whereas I could have just spent like five minutes making a thumbnail sketch and figuring it out.”

With more time spent in front of the canvas, Wall admitted that she occasionally experiences artis-

tic burnout. However, she’s developed coping strategies over the years to counteract its effects.

“Letting myself have time off and away from art really helps,” she said. “If you have deadlines and cut-offs, you have to force yourself into that artistic state, and you might suffer from a decreased quality of your work. When inspiration hits, it hits, and you can’t really force it.”

Wall said she gets more inspiration at night.

“I’m a super night owl,” she said. “Something about having alone time when everyone else is asleep really gets my creative mindset in gear.”

She also plays piano and crochets in her free time. She finds that her approach to other hobbies shares similarities with those of her artistic ventures.

“I went for muted colors to capture the fogginess of memory. I definitely wanted to capture the lake because that holds significance to me, rather than just the trees in the background. I really liked the idea of having these small little sparkles of the sun reflecting on the water.”

“The main thing that transfers over is the ability to be patient and trust the process,” she said. “One of my favorite things to remind myself is that progress doesn’t come consistently – it comes in steps, almost.”

“I like to use golden light. Something about that really hits – I feel very nostalgic with fuzzy warm sunlight. I was trying to capture the ambiance of the warm, happy Christmas party.”

Wall emphasized the importance of patience in artistic progression.

“I’ll hit a time where I feel like I’m improving with every painting I’m doing or every song I’m practicing on the piano, and then I’d hit a plateau and not improve at all. I just tell myself to wait it out and keep practicing.”

Wall also visits art museums such as the Getty to draw inspiration and encouragement.

“One thing about being in a museum in front of it is the sense of reality hits you,” she said. “This is a real thing. Someone just like me did that. It’s a big inspiration.”

Although Wall wished to pursue art professionally, financial prospects were a primary concern.

“I’ve only applied to one art college because I really had to have some inner battles,” she said. “As a professional artist, it’s very rare to have a stable income. So the uncertainty of it is kind of scary.”

Wall remains eager about her future in the visual arts.

“I’m mainly excited to see where I’ll end up. And maybe I’ll end up somewhere where it really inspires me. But just gaining new experiences and meeting new people, I think, can help my art tremendously.” +

THE FARMER, THE CHEF, & THE SEAMSTRESS

Lia Berkovich ‘24

The Farmer

The man rises and precedes the beaming sun. Now, the only beaming sun is he, at rows and rows of the same old tree the tree that goes and grows, and at the very top, it glows!

from a bundle of mangoes. Freshly plucked and sliced into squares The only way the man shows that he cares Is by taking a bite, chewing with might, till there’s nothing left but a chunk just right to take along home on a thrilling endeavor and put in the freezer to keep it forever.

The Chef

And from the open widows of her small apartment wafts soups, patties, chicken, the sweet scent of cakes, it draws the whole world in, her family nearer, a line past the staircase all coming to see her. In this fantasy dreamland she cooks for eternity. But alone in this universe it isn’t quite so. When she passes on, all her recipes go. With little mobility, A kickstarter heart and an aide in her ear, no matter the scents from the world in her head, when I say “I love you,” She can’t even hear.

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE

Jayden Melendez ‘28

Don’t hold on to things that want to go, their chapter has ended in your life. Don’t let it hold your mind back. for it is restricting you from flying and discovering the things that come in the next chapter of your life and all you have to do is flip the page to discover what awaits you and your happiness.

The Seamstress

She has silly glasses on her head. That magnify her beads, she said. With steady hands she threads another They’re microscopic, all set in a row. Makes a charming bracelet like no other Onto the next one, she starts it slow.

A history of doll clothes, scarves and dresses

A cabinet of fabric piled up in messes

A lively laugh,

A warm embrace, The stray cats she cares for will crash at her place. Although now her hands shake too much to thread any longer

The love in her heart only keeps getting stronger.

THE WALK

Ollie Cunningham ‘25

GRASP

Lucas Lee ‘24

RHAPSODY

Lucas Lee ‘24

OPENNESS

Ollie Cunningham ‘25

UNTITLED

Edward Juan ‘27

If you are not intrigued, place me back; No harm in that. Ignore me, Please. I am not meant for you. Do not read what you are not open to. Goodbye.

But for those whose upward thoughts find their way down. Who takes the long way home. You who likes not knowing and finding the know. Stay. I need you. Help me. Do not leave me

In the dark.

Again.

You made it! It is wonderful to meet one another. Let us get acquainted: I am not your friend. I do not want to listen while you babble on about your life; so do not try. No, that is not my job. I have heard many stories and do not have time for yours. How about you get some friends. Or better yet a therapist.

I am also not your enemy. I will not hurt but sometimes, I will hurt. That is just what the truth does sometimes. I will be here for you but I can not help you, that is what you need to do for yourself. I will not lie. I do not have a heart or flesh but I beat all the same. Can you feel me? I can feel you, all of you. Books feel everything. I will not judge you if you throw me away, but you will hear me, screaming through the walls if you do. I am not quiet. Although I am not your enemy, you can not hide from me. I am here and that is where I will stay.

I am not yours. But I can be a part of you. In fact, let me. The more open you are the easier it is for the both of us. Talk to me, write on me. Point out my flaws. I am in no way or shape a perfect book. But I am beautiful all the same. Burn me, break me, use me as your bible. It’s all the same to me, as the words are still there. So who am I if I am not yours? I am everyone. I belong to anyone who reads past the first page. I belong to the person who thinks of upside-down houses and the flutter of a passing hurricane. I belong to trauma. I belong to Triumph. I belong to the things that go bump in the night. I belong to the specks that run rampant through the sky. The point is, do not get cocky because you think you can do whatever you want with me. I most certainly do not belong to just you, Or even you at all.

I might have a purpose. I think I do. I remember a time when books had a purpose. I sat on that shelf for so long, I do not think I do anymore. Really when you think about it, my purpose is what I am doing. When I am sitting it is to sit. When I am being read my purpose is simply to be read. But then, what am I here for? I guess that is something you need to answer. So tell me what was your purpose for picking me up? I am not interesting. I am not fun. I am here. I just don`t know why. So.

What am I if I am not your friend? Your enemy. What am I if I am not your enemy? I guess I own you (if history repeats itself and it does). What am I if you don’t own me? You don’t have a purpose. What if I do; You just don’t know it yet? You are useless. I am not useless. You are still thinking the right way up. Start thinking down, around, and back again. Open your eyes to the possibilities. Better yet open your ears.

Do you have any guesses? Nope?

I am a story.