Manos is an exploration of identity through the abstraction of cultural iconography, color, and texture. The process for this work consists of drawing, painting, scanography, photography, collage and animation. At the inception of this body, I felt moved by the tangibility of handprint-painting usually done within elementary settings. Having stumbled upon old artworks from my early art education, I wanted to revisit this in a way that felt true to my current process. Flags (mostly abstractions of them) are also a constant of my visual language, so this became an important theme within the series as well. Studio scraps, drawings, photos, and scanned images were collaged digitally to form these playful pieces that visualize my confusion, connection, and gradual acceptance of who I am. Framed prints were shown at Lazy Suzan Gallery on Henry Street in Lower Manhattan as a part of Artreprenuer’s Up Close exhibition in 2018.