Expressing Myself Through Art

Happiness is one of the basic emotions that exist across cultures. As happiness is a universal emotion, no matter where people come from, they may have the same expression of happiness, such as smiling, laughing, and being approachable. However, people of different cultures often conceptualize, experience, and reflect upon happiness in different ways. Furthermore, in diverse cities where people of different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds are living together, people’s definition of happiness is wrapped inside layers of their own culture and their adopted culture. These external similarities and internal differences may create interesting dynamics that are worth embracing. To explore happiness across cultures, the combination of photography and psychology can be a unique tool that captures the personal and collective similarities and differences across cultures through the investigation of lived experiences of happiness.

This project, which started in January 2019, has been conducted in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and included 16 interviews and photoshoots so far. The interviews were audio-recorded and the photoshoots were taken with the permission of the subjects. My interviews and photo shoots were conducted in many places, such as the Scranton Jewish Community Center, MYCIL Center for Independent Living, Savory Maza (Lebanese restaurant), Mi Ranchito (Columbia restaurant), Mohegan Sun Pocono, Prudential, and Lackawanna Coal Miners’ Soccer League. During the experience, I had opportunities to interview and photograph people from various cultures and heritages, including Columbian, Lebanese, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, Caribbean, UK, Norwegian, Taiwanese, Jordanian, Middle Eastern, Irish, and Italian. The subjects are from all walks of life and have different occupations, such as author, forklift driver, restaurant owner, teacher, and juggler.

An exhibition with 10 photographs and descriptions of the interview with the subjects was displayed in the Undergraduate Research Fair and Creative Exhibition, Penn State Scranton. The display included an interactive activity in which the viewers matched the interview transcript excerpt on the cards with the photographs on the wall. The purpose of this interactive activity is to encourage the viewers to enjoy art in an active way and at the same time, to challenge their assumptions and stereotypes about people from different cultures. Seeing real people in photos and reading their views on happiness at the same time may increase the understanding, empathy, and appreciation of the viewers. The main purpose of this project is to increase cultural awareness in Scranton.

The Creative Exhibition was a great opportunity for me and other students to show our artwork and express ourselves through art. Thanks to the exhibition, I learned how to create a collection of photos that may evoke a flow of emotion by connecting them thematically and visually through composition and lighting. Being included in the Creative Exhibition fosters the love of art that leads to greater creativity. During the exhibition, the viewers expressed surprise and interest in the theme of happiness across cultures. The matching game may make them realize that they have a good idea of what people might think and value, but they are not necessarily correct. This project also demonstrates that the combination of various academic disciplines can create a unique and meaningful experience of education.

This project presented at the Undergraduate Research Fair and Exhibition at Penn State Scranton and received the Outstanding Creative Accomplishment Scholar award.

Below is the online access to the creative exhibition.

https://kimhng.wixsite.com/kimhnguyen/authentic-happiness