Hello!
My name is Casey Yin, and I am a visual artist and premedical student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts. As I approach my senior year at Pitt, it has been so exciting to look back and see how unexpectedly my journey through college has changed.
Entering my freshman year, I planned to major in the natural sciences–I have always been interested in the structure and function of the world composed of living organisms. From a psychological to physiological perspective, what enables us to function, and what drives us to act? I have sought insight into these concepts through my neuroscience major as a premedical student, learning about the miniscule cells and molecules that allow us to survive, alongside possible disorders. Research within the sciences has always fascinated me, but I was moved by my first few classes in art, where I not only learned the technical foundations of how to paint and draw, but also shown how physical material can be connected to something so deeply emotional. I was taught the value of introspective research, artistic agency, and the possibilities of interdisciplinary work.
This introspection has developed alongside a comprehension of the people and structures surrounding me, but this has only sparked a desire for deeper understanding. Working with Lenore Thomas, I intend to use this Brackenridge Fellowship to pursue research in understanding identity and expression.
As a multimedia artist, my most recent works incorporate knitting and crocheting within sculptures, utilizing fiber to investigate the construction of form within space. In creating art, I typically explore the connection between self and others: What shapes individuals’ emotions and desires—is it one’s relationship with the surrounding world? My current project centers around expression and identity within various social boundaries and contexts. Beginning with my own lived experience, I investigate the tensions resulting from pressures to fit into strict labels, experimenting with various material in artistic representation. My research also includes shared and unique experiences across different communities, and how biology and culture have shaped the evolution of these spaces.
By using my art to integrate an interdisciplinary understanding of socially-driven pressures of conformity, I hope to promote nuanced introspection regarding our own sense of belonging, contributing through my own understanding of art and science. I intend to use this project to develop my own understanding of the world, experimenting with various forms of research and unique processes of creating art.