“The Surreal Self”
Initiated in 1985, this annual juried art exhibition presents work by Florida middle and high school students that explores ideas and visions inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí and the Surrealists. Students are asked to experiment with surrealist techniques such as visual transformation, dislocation and symbolism to create their works. This year’s theme is “The Surreal Self: Personal Symbols, Stories and Portraits.”
As an artist, Dalí had the ability to construct versions of himself that would be shared with others. In Dalí’s work, it is common to see personal symbols derived from his lived experiences, like his melting watches which represent how he perceived the passage of time. Dalí also referenced physical locations with personal meaning, particularly the rocky forms of the Catalan coastline where he grew up, in his creation of surreal landscapes.
The self-portraits Dalí created throughout his career explore different sides of his identity, portraying himself at various stages of life. In Self-Portrait (Figueres) (1921), teenage Dalí depicts an older version of himself shrouded in darkness, while in The Hallucinogenic Toreador (1969-70) he appears in his favorite blue sailor outfit from childhood, and in The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus (1958-59) he emphasizes his revitalized religious devotion later in life.
With this theme, students are challenged to represent themselves with the techniques used by Dalí to shape and present his own version of self. The Dalí Museum invites students to portray themselves through personal symbols, stories and portraits, founded in reality or the otherwise fluid methods of Salvador Dalí.
The Student Surrealist Art Exhibitions and receptions are funded by a generous gift from anonymous donors and in part from a program endowment fund established by the Craig and Jan Sher Philanthropic Fund, with further support from Museum Docent Steven Lawson and Nancy Hewitt. Additional support for this educational program comes from our Museum corporate partner, Bloomin’ Brands Inc.
Middle School
Alphabetical order by school
(Click images to enlarge)
Mai Odparlik
Individuation
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: R.J. Runas
Grade 8
Individuation is defined as the development of an individual, and in which individuals in society become differentiated from one another. In my piece, I showed the “path to your identity,” where the colors yellow and orange symbolize transformation, freedom and happiness. I used levitation, dislocation and symbolism.
Jiya Thaker
Untitled
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: R.J. Runas
Grade 8
This piece represents how time can’t be reversed. The different kinds of clocks in it represent time. The nature theme represents childhood and personal growth. The black figure and eyes around the piece symbolize fear for the future and change. The fresh and eaten apples show how things change over time. New things can be scary and unwelcome, so I showed my thoughts on it with this artwork.
Taylor Horton
Living Puppet
Watercolor
Buchanan Middle School
Art Teacher: Carla Wilkins
Grade 8
My inspiration is a character I identify with, Razzle and Dazzle. Using Dalí’s idea of double images, I’ve created a scene of subconscious duality set on the stage of life. It shows a way to find balance between the best of memories and today’s realities. What can make you laugh can also make you cry.
Daralin Moreno
A Lost Persona
Colored Pencil, Watercolor
Buchanan Middle School
Art Teacher: Carla Wilkins
Grade 7
I really wanted for my art to show a piece of me that I can only really show within my drawings and to also show the difference between my self and what I’d wish to be more like with the two characters, and the stairs as the body of water was so that I can show the barrier between the two while also representing life and how odd or complex it can be. As for the void part of the art work, it’s completely up for interpretation for everyone.
Jasmine Lu
A Colorful Heartbreak
Watercolor, Marker
Farnell Middle School
Art Teacher: Sonya Whipple
Grade 8
I used acrylic markers for this piece but mainly watercolors I also used a pen to do the line art. This abstract piece represents a heartbreak in a colorful manner. The background showing interests that can fade away with sorrow but also staying colorful as not to show anyone pain or sadness.
Mariana Colon
Despite, Move Forward
Watercolor, Ink, Acrylic
Maniscalco K-8 School
Art Teacher: Lauren Stockslager
Grade 7
This art piece focuses on a character fighting her way toward the light as she works to overcome the struggle she is in. The glowing figure represents the girl’s inner mind, guiding her toward safety with the two sets of hands. The background demonstrates the complexity of trying to think clearly while overwhelmed. All these things lead to the drama masks and mouth, which show emotional tears, shouting, and the need for assistance.
Lexi Collins
Escaping Isolation
Marker, Ink
Bob Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade 8
Many inspirations shaped this piece, reflecting who I am. Like a jellyfish, each tentacle represents a unique trait or story that defines me. While making the piece, I learned new ways to blend marker and use ink to create a surreal effect through scale, and symbolism. This piece is important to me because it represents the reach for an escape from isolation; and the water level represents how it is enough to function but not enough to thrive.
Viana Gade
Between Silence and Self
Colored Pencil, Graphite, Ink
Bob Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade 8
In this piece, I draw myself scrunched up and sad as a vibrant monkey pushes out from within me. The dark, heavy background contrasts with the monkey’s bright colors and movement. The monkey represents my true personality: playful, expressive, and full of energy, which I often hide at school out of fear of being judged or seen as “too much.” My curled posture shows suppression, while the monkey emerging symbolizes my inner struggle and strong desire to be seen and fully express who I am.
Mya Hoffman
Heavy Heart
Colored Pencil
Mulrennan Middle School
Art Teacher: Holly Gaw
Grade 8
This art is about me, and how much emotions I feel. I deal with emotions weird, sometimes I’m completely unaffected by big things but will be sobbing over something small. And I can’t bring myself to ask for help or say no to somethings. I feel either too much or too little, and sometimes words refuse to leave my mouth, sometimes I feel like wounded deer, stuck with no way to ask for help.
Violet Stander
Seeing Eye
Colored Pencil, Graphite, Ink
Mulrennan Middle School
Art Teacher: Holly Gaw
Grade 8
I made this work of art based on the things I think of like my fish tank and celestial objects. I’m also a fan of drawing eyes and the thought of someone watching over but not controlling how we live. Also, the sea to land reference and current events like wildfires and the thought of masculinity ruling over compared to feminism.
Aaliyah Greene-Walker
Don’t Deny It
Graphite
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade 8
The art piece “don’t deny it” created by Aaliyah Greene walker represents a feeling of vulnerability and confinement. The chains represent feeling being trapped and refusal to acknowledge strong emotions, the mirror reflecting the man’s inner self forces the man to face the truth of how he truly feels. I have created this piece to display emotions I’ve seemingly been running from and refusing to face.
Juliana Olmeda
Home
Watercolor
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade 8
Home is best found when I’m by myself. The forest represents isolation. The oversized bat (me) would be out of place if it wasn’t in its home. The heart represents my safe place. I drew a flowing river along with matching floating words to represent how poetry flows easily when I’m in my own home space. The title of my poem on the pieces of paper on the trail lead you deeper to who I am.
Camille Steen
Heavy Heart
Watercolor
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade 7
The artwork is filled with shades of blue, a color often used to represent sadness,loneliness and quiet emotions. The monster represents control and negative thoughts or outside pressures that manipulate a person without them even realizing it. And last, the girl is painting, an act that usually represents freedom, expression and identity. But the strings show that even her creativity is being controlled. She is not fully free.
Samantha Cruz Reyes
The Colors of My Mind
Mixed Media
Pierce Middle School
Art Teacher: Victoria Trespando Escobio
Grade 8
Music, colors, and fun inspire my journey. I made a surrealist composition using my personal symbols and images that describe me and my personality without using words. I was inspired by Salvador Dalí’s surreal elements; the eyes, impossible spaces, dreamlike scenes…I included fish-eye hybrids and many eyes to symbolize the feeling of being watched and judged. The sunset fading into my skin represents the insecurity and social comparison I used to struggle with.
Amanda Esquivel Alonso
Robot In a Line of Time
Mixed Media
Pierce Middle School
Art Teacher: Victoria Trespando Escobio
Grade 7
My artwork is about a robot girl who retains real feelings. I wanted to show that even though technology is a part of our lives, we still have thoughts, dreams, and emotions. The melting clocks, a direct reference to Dalí’s work, represent how time doesn’t always feel normal or the same to me. I want people to see that technology is not everything. Behind these machines, there is still a world where our imagination can be immense.
T’ieramaree Perkins
Pink City
Watercolor, Graphite
Pizzo K-8 School
Art Teacher: Rhonda Donovan
Grade 7
This composition is the view T’ieramaree has in her mind of what the beautiful city looks like from across the water.
Neriluz Cabrera
Self Doubt
Watercolor
Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts
Art Teacher: Erika Movajah
Grade 6
This art represents the doubt of not finding the end of the path and redoing things over and over again just to not move forward with things which is is why there’s a bigger, intimidating version of me blocking my path like an obstacle in which the version of me which is walking down the path is doubting and regretting the attempt to move forward since she’s unable to find the relief of the end of the path.
Natalia R. Hooks
The Walk of Life
Colored Pencil, Watercolor
Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade 8
The mixed-media piece The Walk of Life is a surreal depiction of my original character, the Second Child of Life, as she walks towards the ocean. This piece represents Life as a character, the complex identity and journey of the average human. Her character is that she’s the middle child of the three descendants of Life, balancing mundane office work with the responsibilities of her siblings’ actions. The ocean represents the peace she chases, but will ultimately extinguish her flame.
Evelyn Kovacs
Surrealistically Distressed
Digital, Photography, Cyanotype
Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade 7
My artwork is a cyanotype inspired by Magritte’s “Son of Man”. I appreciate how an artwork that seems simple can hold deeper meaning. I connect with the theme of concealment represented by the apple hiding the man; I often feel the desire to hide myself. My overwhelming passions can lead to anxiety about expressing myself, making me fear that I’ll say something wrong. This was ultimately to show my personal feelings and struggles that sometimes feel surreal.
Charlotte Ruby Lozano
A Moment In Time
Colored Pencil
Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts
Art Teacher: Erika Movajah
Grade 6
My drawing is made with colored pencils that show uniqueness and chaos. I blended them like a pro, hands moving across the page like wind and water. Perspectives are seen by me as I observe. These drawing techniques I used were to create a visual of uncertainty and unleash possibilities. My work challenges viewers to find instantaneous, unwonted themes. My emotion behind my work is to express the weird and unfamiliar things that can happen over time.
Ivey Lewis
Words To Myself
Colored Pencil
Roland Park K-8 Magnet School
Art Teacher: Salenna Nguyen
Grade 8
My artwork shows a self-portrait inspired by the way I feel around others. It represents the feelings of being ignored in conversations by the multiple me’s being swallowed by my own mouth. I wanted people to understand that I’m drowned out by my words rather than listened to. I believe that art is a strong way to show your identity and feelings towards something important to you, which is why I chose to represent this theme.
Tushti Mishra
I Don’t Really Care, But I Do. A Lot.
Acrylic, Watercolor
Roland Park K-8 Magnet School
Art Teacher: Salenna Nguyen
Grade 8
This piece shows my fear of being judged by others. I drew myself in a coffin about to be swallowed representing how people’s opinions can feel overwhelming, as if they’re consuming me, even on the day I die. The people painting shows how others try to define who I am. The figurines around me indicate that even though I worry about how people perceive me, I still choose to be myself.
Sadie Claridge
Everything All At Once
Mixed Media
Charlie Walker Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade 7
This artwork was inspired by my jumbled-up thoughts and feelings. It has some of my personal struggles, images in my life and crazy emotions. I used juxtaposition, levitation, dislocation and transformation. The floating and combined objects connect with the weirder section of my brain and my thoughts. I wanted to respond to Van Gogh’s style by making my work unrealistic.
Lindsay Huynh
Childhood Adrift
Digital Art
Charlie Walker Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade 8
I wanted my artwork to capture the surreal feeling of being a kid. The feeling of being big, important, on top of the world, and unstoppable. That’s why I chose to depict myself with a unicorn horn riding a koi fish in the vast sky. Koi fish often symbolize ambition, courage, and strength in many cultures, all of which are traits I embodied as a kid.
Lucy Wimsatt
My Beautiful Flaws
Mixed Media
Charlie Walker Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade 8
While creating this, I saw myself living in the confines of my mind. My endless glaring imperfections. Medusa endured so much, yet people see her as a monster, driving her deeper into self-sabatoge. Her appearances were made into her life. People who see themselves in her story, know you’re not alone. Flaws will always have more value than perfections. I’m gradually learning to love the scars that once haunted me.
Sophie Hernandez
From the Ground Up
Mixed Media
Webb Middle School
Art Teacher: Nestor Caparros Martin
Grade 8
The thing that inspired me was a dream I had when I was moving from Miami to Tampa. Which I had myself on the right and my old few apartments’ hallway floor disappearing. I used the Surrealist technique of personal stars. I used the Surrealist technique of Levitation like in “Dalí Atomicus” (1948) by Philippe Halsman which was a photograph taken of Dalí.
Lily Lamantia
Melting
Mixed Media
Webb Middle School
Art Teacher: Nestor Caparros Martin
Grade 8
When I was deciding on what to make, I was inspired by myself. I responded to the exhibit’s theme by creating monsters coming out of a person who is melting away in a spiral that is supposed to represent a trance. My mind responded to Salvador Dalí’s work by thinking, “Wow, I like that — it’s different and trippy.” The elements I used to connect with the “Surreal Self” were transformation (body) and symbolism (the creatures coming out of the body represented thoughts).
Miriam Urrutia
Silenced
Mixed Media
Webb Middle School
Art Teacher: Nestor Caparros Martin
Grade 8
I was inspired by my personal experiences with religious traumas and being taught to stay quiet when things hurt. I used surrealism to highlight certain themes like growing wings or feeling trapped or silenced. I intentionally made the background brighter than the character to show how our surroundings can look hopeful even when we’re overwhelmed. The piece focuses on silent struggle, and the things people keep hidden.
Andrea Davis
The Girl In The Moon
Ink
Williams Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade 8
Theo Lum
Catterfly
Colored Pencil, Marker
Williams Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade 7
The artwork shows a layered futuristic city being attacked by a Catterfly. The Catterfly is a combination of a cat and a butterfly, but with mystical powers such as flaming skin, and breathing fire.
Norah Paul
The Fool
Marker, Colored Pencil
Williams Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade 7
I imagine myself as a clown, for I am the fool for believing fake people. As you can see, my eyes are blind, the reason for this is that I blindly trust, even if they’ve done things that hurt my feelings. The dots in the background that change show how it really can impact anybody, even the color in the background transitioning to colors show feelings. My lesson is: Be careful who you trust.
Aleeza Safreen
The Despondent Heart
Oil
Williams Middle Magnet IB World School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade 7
My work explores the struggle of maintaining a composed front while bearing the weight of others’ expectations and grappling with internal conflict. Through the use of fractured forms and bright, contrasting colors, I visualize the physical strain of ‘holding it together.’ My goal is to illustrate the silent exhaustion that results from pressure to remain whole when one feels on the verge of shattering.
Amayah Evans
Hope Through The Darkness
Marker, Ink, Acrylic
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Art Teacher: Julie Miller
Grade 8
I was inspired by my love for music and my passion for being different. My art connects with my “surreal self” by showing how I strive to be myself despite the people around me. I used techniques like juxtaposition and symbolism. The eyes symbolize the thoughts of others, and the flute symbolizes my passion for doing what I love. I truly love creating art; my “surreal self” is creativity.
Emery Wyman
Look for the Light
Marker
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Art Teacher: Julie Miller
Grade 7
I create art to express my thoughts and feelings whenever I want to. I am inspired by others work; if I see something I like, I try and make something similar. I enjoy experimenting with different styles and materials, and I am always working to improve my skills and develop new and fun pieces of work.
Noralynn Chapman
A Different Perspective
Mixed Media
Winthrop Charter School
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade 8
My art was meant to portray how autism affects my way of living. The variety of colors is meant to symbolize diversity of the disorder because of all the symptoms it causes. The eye on the mask symbolizes how I feel the need to change how I am for others’ approval. The big ear is meant to show how loud sounds tend to affect me more than others. The barbed wire around my throat represents how I feel unable to tell people about my autism, since it is often talked about flippantly.
Rachel Pham
The Blooming Quiet of a Warriors Heart
Mixed Media
Winthrop Charter School
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade 7
My art was inspired by ancient Chinese romance stories and my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 1:3. Flying flowers and swords show levitation while swords, flowers, and a dragon show displacement. The lotus flower symbolizes purity. My art is about a man and a woman from two contrasting sides that are lovers. The man is a warrior, while the woman sits elegantly with a go-board, a two-player game. She plays the black stones while the white stones wait for the man.
Trent Pollock
Reconstruction of the Divine Child
Mixed Media
Winthrop Charter School
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade 8
The focus of the artwork is the introduction of Filipino culture into my life. I was born half American and half Filipino. Through travel, family, and food, I was able to show symbols of the Filipino culture, and the warm embrace that welcomed me into it. The ties between personal and external forces allowed me to form a personal bond between myself, and the unique, yet wonderful world of Filipino culture, solidifying the story between the artwork and me.
Arynn Reed
The World Through My Eyes
Mixed Media
Winthrop Charter School
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade 8
My work was inspired by the fact that my parents have always said I live in my own world, so I decided to show it. The theme is displayed because I included my interests, like piano, to portray who I am. I used visual transformation to contrast reality versus my perspective, symbolism within the flowers, and a galaxy background to represent my happiness and dreams, along with displacement, scale, and other surrealist techniques.
Gideon Yabut
To Reach Heaven, You Have to Go Through Hell
Mixed Media
Winthrop Charter School
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade 8
What inspired me to do this project is that it relates to how hard I work, and the skeleton represents how I feel like sometimes I’m “working to the bone”. This relates to me because when I am burnt out, I can feel weak like a skeleton, and the fire represents my passion towards things, like my passion for basketball. Some surrealist techniques I used were symbols with the skeleton and fire, scale with the web of bones, and juxtaposition by replacing the webs with bones.
Adam Ibrahem
Hurt
Mixed Media
Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy PreK-8
Art Teacher: William Talenti
Grade 7
I wanted to convey all of the ways people personally hurt themselves and keep it in without telling anyone. My art depicts odd things being underneath a grass plain, symbolizing the happy expression people show without telling others of their pain.
Elijah Wiltz
My Hobbies Will Not Own Me
Acrylic, Colored Pencil, Marker, Graphite
Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy PreK-8
Art Teacher: William Talenti
Grade 7
The symbols used in my work reflect my interest in metal guitar and fishing. Figuratively, these hobbies encompass the act of creating and relaxing-like painting. I want the future of my life to be a passionate synthesis of my hobbies and interests in becoming a professional artist and not just a past time.
Mia Yu
My Stereotype, My Intelligence
Graphite, Colored Pencil
Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy PreK-8
Art Teacher: William Talenti
Grade 8
My art shares the thoughts and feelings surrounding the perception of my ethnicity. Being Asian is often related to intelligence, other abilities, and interests specific to race. Through personal symbols, I want to demonstrate, reclaim, and represent myself, my smartness and love for making art in this image.
High School
Alphabetical order by school
Keyla Acosta Echenique
Mariposa
Acrylic
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade 10
Mariposa is a reflection of my unease about my future. The symbolism of a butterfly emerging from its pupa represents how inexperienced I feel compared to my peers; the clocks in the barn owl’s eyes represent how pressured I feel about time ticking; and the red string is a symbol of fate, something that I question regularly. My inspiration for this piece was Dalí’s Painting, “Girl’s Back, 1926.” The warmth and mystery radiating from it influenced the color scheme and message of Mariposa.
Sophia Bonetti
Let the Light In
Colored Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Cristina Shaw
Grade 11
This piece represents a time in my life and many others who have faced addiction, the fish representing the need for water how addicts needs their craving. The light from the window symbolizes the want to let go of addiction and the room is how i imagine the mind of one. Dalís work distorts reality and questions identity such as an addict has for themselves. I used the dream imagery and Dislocation of surrealism in this work.
Sophie Brugal
The Flow of Time
Colored Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade 10
I made this piece to represent the passage of time and compare my past self to my present/ future self. The small person is my past self looking up at my present/ future self and noticing the changes that have occurred. The clock in the eye as well as in the sun also makes the symbol of time more clear. Overall, this piece is intended to capture the changes involved in growing up.
Jazmin Feliz
Siamese Dream
Collage, Colored Pencil, Digital, Oil Pastel, Watercolor, Ink
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Shane Heath
Grade 11
My work is inspired by Monet’s oil-pastel sensibility and the visual culture surrounding my birth year, 2009. I explored personal memory and internal escape, referencing Coraline and The Princess and the Frog as nostalgic, dreamlike symbols. The portrait of my nonverbal brother reflects communication beyond language and how he shaped my understanding of resilience and identity. Influenced by Dalí’s unconventional harmony, I orchestrated a controlled chaos that mirrors my surreal inner world.
Ana Sofia Gonzalez Mora
I Rose in Flamenco
Colored Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Shane Heath
Grade 12
This art piece explores how can I capture my passion and my talents as my surreal self portrait. My inspiration came from my beginnings as a dancer, in my childhood my favorite hobby was flamenco, at that time I love every process about been a flamenco dancer, as well as being able to perform in front of audience. I explore my surreal self by creating a big rose to show my passion and talent for this type of art.
Jose Olmos
Happy Birthday to Me
Oil Pastel, Colored Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Shane Heath
Grade 12
This piece was inspired by a birthday I went to, where the birthday girl was turning 18. As I saw the candle melt on the cake, I realized all the responsibilities that come with adulthood. This composition represents my inner-self trying to deal with birthdays and the uncertainty of the future and growing up. Dalí’s work on surrealism inspired me in the process this concept could only be shown using surrealism like the dislocation of a face on the candle to create this dreamlike vision.
Juliana Woolard
Contained By Mortality
Graphite
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Shane Heath
Grade 11
Contained by Mortality explores the feeling of being confined to yourself. You are aware of the isolation of being conscious inside your own body, yet cannot escape it. This piece was influenced by a lyric from “Bodysnatchers” by Radiohead, reflecting the sensation of feeling trapped inside yourself. That interpretation is personal to me. My art is meant to encourage viewers to construct their own narrative through their experiences of self. Your turn.
Sarah Ramsey
Oasis With No Water
Mixed Media
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Morgan Guinessey
Grade 12
The idea behind my art is the level of ignorance one can have. You live in perfect peace whilst everything around you is struggling.
Luis Rivera Sanchez
The Inside & Outside a Person
Graphite
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Emma Lettera
Grade 11
I made this artwork to show who I am as a person physically, and mentally. The art piece presents me how I look physically by showing skin melting off my skull, and mentally displays things that made me like favorite dessert or my love for nature.
Camila Villasenor-Garcia
Loose Screws
Watercolor, Ink
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Emma Lettera
Grade 12
When trying to navigate the world, we face a lot of setbacks. Setbacks that make you question your intelligence & confidence. If only there was a way to drill the knowledge of navigating such a complicated world in your head & finally “fixing” yourself.
Brianna Boehm
Burnout
Mixed Media, Watercolor
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade 11
My piece, Burnout, symbolizes over exertion. My melting face represents how burnout can warp the mind and body. I decided to use a plain expression for myself, as a means to connect the feeling of emptiness and consistently giving too much of myself. The candle wick and the flame were not just choices used for the causation of the physical melting, but they represent the epitome of burnout itself. I also decided to use brunt pieces of newspaper for imagery.
Hannah Davis
Forget-Me-Not
Graphite
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade 11
My piece speaks to my constant want to reconnect to my younger self. I am constantly trying to remember how I used to see things as a kid. The tree represents the forever split between myself. The flowers are the forget-me-nots that have followed me since I was a kid. And the ladybugs represent a shared name that I have been called, and costumes I have worn. It is a plea with myself to not forget who I was in hopes of keeping the parts of me that is still a kid.
Madisyn Kowal
Pain
Acrylic
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade 10
This is a piece representing the hyper-fixations of a neurodivergent mind utilizing surrealism techniques. Dislocation of poisonous plants shows how my mind is filled with an abundance of poisonous plant facts, creeping out into the word through the cracks and crevices of my inner self. Metamorphosis is seen through the facial changes caused by the growing plants. Symbolically, there is a frailness and toxic nature to beauty.
Cora Bowen
Spread Too Thin!!!!
Acrylic
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade 12
I utilize distortion to portray the feeling of being stretched beyond my limits. In this portrait, my face begins to lose solidity, my hair becomes indistinguishable from the berries that compose a sweet jam. I am being pressed into the porous surface of bread, seeping into every hole until there is nothing left to hold together. Dalí often reshaped the body to reflect the instability of identity and time; here, I reshape mine to show how identity thins when it is overextended.
Lucas Lillo
AT YOUR TIME
Mixed Media, Colored Pencil, Collage
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade 11
Sometimes you give opportunities to the wrong person, and it can make you lose yourself. You can get lost trying to make others happy instead of yourself. This is what I wanted to express because that’s how I feel when people use me for their gain, but at the end I need to find myself and figure out what makes me, me. The flags in my eyes are a Chilean and Puerto Rican flag to represent my culture and life and all the love my family showed me, and which reminds me of my true self.
Aurora MacGill
Strange Individuals
Collage, Acrylic, Marker, Mixed Media, Holographic Laminate Paper
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade 10
Who are these people? What are they supposed to be? Are they reptile people or fish people? What do the words in the background mean? Do they mean anything? Does that imply that it means something? Probably not.
Aubrey Parker
The Self, Abstracted
Digital Photography
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Linda Galgani
Grade 12
The Self, Abstracted explores the multifaceted nature of human beings through self-portraiture, dividing the subject into distinct, colored boxes. While separated, these boxes are connected by swirling ink, symbolizing that varied personalities are intertwined. Like Salvador Dalí, the piece experiments with abstracting self-portraiture to represent complicated intrapersonal existence, overall speaking to the unification of compartmentalized emotions under a single identity.
Skylynn Sainte
Solving The Puzzle
Digital Art
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Linda Galgani
Grade 11
For my piece, I constructed a collage of photos I have taken/ scanned, and arranged them to convey my message. My piece relates to the theme, the main symbol being puzzle pieces, and my hands are trying to “solve the puzzle” of my face, my life. I tried to convey the uncertainty of adolescence, and as we age, we start to grow into our mature features, and try to fit the puzzle pieces in the right place.
Jada Velilla
Deer Me
Mixed Media, Oil
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade 10
I used acrylic markers to create a room morphing into a forest of birch trees. I created this piece to symbolize my own personal struggle. The deer represents me, it shows who I was and how I see my past self. The crouching, almost scared, position the deer is in is my self-portrait; it’s what I felt and did in an effort to survive my hardships.
Kendall Herr
Illusions
Mixed Media
Bloomingdale High School
Art Teacher: Pamela Reeves
Grade 12
Amalia Reisdorf
Self Discovery
Graphite
Bloomingdale High School
Art Teacher: Pamela Reeves
Grade 11
Madison Tavarez
The Garden
Mixed Media
Bloomingdale High School
Art Teacher: Pamela Reeves
Grade 11
Kaitlynn Shields
Colored In Expectations
Colored Pencil
Brandon High School
Art Teacher: Ernesto Nunez
Grade 10
My piece shows the difference between my true self and who I feel expected to be. The black and white areas represent who I actually am, while the colored fragments show the expectations I try to live up to. I used surrealist techniques like fragmentation, symbolism and juxtapositions. The forget me nots, sunflower and daisy symbolize identity, new beginnings and choosing my own colors.
Dante Acevedo
Identity Crisis
Acrylic, Colored Pencil
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 10
The black and white background is supposed to be monotone and almost depressing while the flowers are meant to bring a more positive and colorful mood, which is supposed to present mixed feelings about one’s identity. The missing piece in the person’s face is meant to signify a missing part of one’s self.
Holly Hocking
Beach Bed
Mixed Media
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 12
Alexia Holsopple
Shaped by the Gaze
Digital Photography
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 11
I created this piece to show what it feels like to be unsure of who you are when everyone else is deciding for you. It shows how, while some people like the persona given to them, others would like the freedom to be who they want to be, without being judged or managed. I created this piece using a picture of me, drawing tunneling holes that show the endless possibilities they can choose; however, they are being watched.
Isabella Preuss
Goldfish Goddess
Acrylic
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Kara Sofilka
Grade 12
Chinese opera has been a prominent part in my childhood; seeing them every time I go to Singapore. I’ve painted myself as the Goldfish Goddess, a prominent character from the opera “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”. I’ve always seen her in myself since I love to swim, and the goldfish around me symbolizes the peace I find in swimming.
McKale Samuels
Flying Silos
Acrylic
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 12
Pema Skinner
Eggs and Friends
Acrylic
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 12
I often relate to a farm chicken, my biological clock already ticking down. I used to own chickens. They laid light blue eggs and I named my favorite one popsicle. On a recent morning, the light blue, orange, and pink sunrise reminded my of her and her siblings. And the sun was a bright and shiny yolk. In that world I am a chicken, and the chickens are us.
Nerissa Stokes
The Life Circus
Colored Pencil, Graphite, Ink
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 12
I decided to set the piece in a circus, representing the chaos of my mind. There are two faces at the front representing my struggles with love and peace. The skeletons are me at the ages of 12, 18, and 15, all crucial points in my life. The balloons are the manifestations of my mental health and environment at those ages. The blood on the stairs reflects how who I am is constantly on display, whether I want it to be or not. The children running around reflect the chaos of my childhood.
Zaylee Udozorch
Go On and Step On Me
Digital Art, Graphite
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade 11
The piece reflects my experience with allowing people to take advantage of my passivity. Palms open, she welcomes any mistreatment to be taken. The song Step On Me by The Cardigans parallels several identifiable elements. The desire to live for others over myself is shown in the outfit, derived from a maid’s uniform, highlighting the accepted role as a servant. The doll imagery highlights external objectification, referencing the phrase “try me,” found on toyboxes displayed on store shelves.
Lilly Free
On a Wire
Watercolor, Ink
Cambridge Christian School
Art Teacher: Amy Dayton
Grade 9
In alignment to this year’s theme, “Surreal Self”, I decided to express deeper feelings or realities that are hidden. I used the idea of birds on a wire to demonstrate the difference between what is seen versus unseen. The ocean symbolizes unspoken numbness or loneliness, staining normality with flightlessness. This conveys the contrast between personal hurt, or reality, and the pressure to hide it.
Zackary Aanensen
[dis]connected
Digital
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade 11
When playing video games, I often find myself so deep in thought that nothing else exists in the moment but the game. In this artwork, I wanted to show that visually but also wanted to highlight the hold that it has on me. The wires wrapped around my neck, legs, and hands symbolize me being “trapped,” but I don’t mind, since the game is addictive and forever ongoing, as visualized by the repetition of myself throughout the piece.
Saahith Mateti
Face in the Isthmus
Digital
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade 9
This artwork is based from a dream I had, where I saw myself in third-person, forced to watch a stop sign, written with the Telugu word for “I am.” The subject is not of my face, but it is the personification of my journey and of what it feels like to be stuck in a limbo of both my nationality and my personality.
Andrea Basara
Music Manifestation
Acrylic
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade 11
The way how this art work represents my inner self by showing how it’s like to express myself. The skeleton representing my inside feelings, as the music notes represent those feelings escaping. The flower and music notes connecting with each other as the flower is suppose to symbolize freedom. The bright colors giving off a strong visual to it.
Hector Dircio-Hernandez
Self Construction
Graphite
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade 11
My inspiration for my artwork was how people try to shape themselves for the future. In response to the theme, I created an image of myself being drawn and carefully built. The tiny people represent how someone imagines who they want to become. The sticks holding the blocks show how one wrong move can cause everything to fall apart. The eye in the sky symbolizes others watching the person change.
Janiah Johnson
Drift Away
Colored Pencil
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade 10
This piece was inspired by one of my dreams that I remembered upon waking, leaving me with a headache; hence, I drew my head shattered. My piece’s cool color scheme symbolizes the melancholy, loss that it conveys. A music disc replaces my eye, signifying both my love of music and the blurriness that comes with it. The background of space conveys loss and my liking for space. I’m not typically sure how to express myself, but creating this artwork helped.
Alexis Loesch
Me and My Cat
Mixed Media, Marker, Colored Pencil
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade 9
This picture symbolizes how my cat shows me the light and hope when I’m feeling down and lost. The city behind him symbolizes opportunity. The mask is melting off my face because of the courage my cat gives me. The slime behind me and the dark pink lines symbolize negative emotions, which my cat’s light is repelling. I loved how Salvador Dalí’s works had a deeper, personal meaning and I was glad to make a piece like that!
Madylen Marlatt
Paranoiac Intervals
Acrylic
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade 12
In this piece, I illustrated ideas of power dynamics and the juxtaposition of thrill and fear. One figure, a porcelain string puppet, has a proportionate size difference to the second figure, illustrating inequality. Similar to Salvador Dalì’s pieces, I used saturated base colors, harshly shading in some areas to accentuate contrast, dramatizing the juxtaposition, not only the situation but the piece’s lighting itself, leaving a feeling of uncertainty, fragility, being at someone else’s mercy.
Angelica Pertab
Feast of Watching
Colored Pencil, Ink, Marker
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade 12
My artwork is inspired by the feeling of not being able to say what I truly think. I used symbols like tongues and eyes to represent silence, pressure and constant awareness. Salvador Dali and the exhibit’s surreal theme influenced me to make the piece dreamlike and unrealistic. I chose intense colors like yellow, dark blue, red and green to create discomfort. Distortion, repetition and unexpected objects express my inner emotions.
Ayden Reinke
The Ballroom Blitz
Mixed Media, Ink, Watercolor, Colored Pencil
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade 12
This project is intended to show things/items that have negative effects on who someone becomes. Such as items like cigarettes which holds a representation of addiction. The two figures represent young youth looking up to negative things that look cool. The primary color scheme is intended to show several things but mainly how emotions and emotional states can influence these abusive habits. The yellow and red are intended to give an overwhelming dominating nature to it.
Jane Galbraith
Unmolted Spider
Colored Pencil
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade 9
This piece represents how even though humans grow, they still carry their childhood selves that seek wonder with them rather than molting their old skin.
Amaya Hamad
Soaring Through
Ink, Watercolor
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade 9
This piece is supposed to illustrate my lack of interest in materialistic needs, and my desire to remain ebullient with my authentic self in a forever changing society.
Justin Nguyen
Chasing Desire in the Vast Sea
Graphite
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade 9
This piece shows how far a person is willing to go to pursue their dreams with determination. Even when alone or isolated, they are still able to keep going with the right mindset. It represents passion, showing how dedication can carry someone forward even in difficult or stressful times.
Michael Padilla
Maniac
Colored Pencil, Ink, Marker
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade 12
My drawing is about a person’s expressions and traits showed all in one moment as if the person’s mood and thoughts are all over the place and it really makes the visualizer a feeling that’s so unsure of.
Gaige Spano
Free Space
Colored Pencil, Marker
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade 11
The drawing is a representation of me being lost in my own mind while being free from any stressful things going on in my life. It’s a place I can go to relax.
Alessandra Bernal-Hernandez
Agridulce
Collage, Colored Pencil, Marker, Watercolor
A.P. Leto High School
Art Teacher: Jackie Lucas
Grade 12
The inspiration for my piece represents things that I liked to indulge in as a child (such as sweets, clothes, toys) but still do today. These feelings are bittersweet (Agridulce) because I am no longer a little kid, but not yet ready to be an adult. The teeth in the piece symbolize wisdom teeth- teeth that many get taken out as a child but also have them as they transition into adulthood. They also represent the closing or an ending of one phase of life to another.
Sebastian Millan Flores
Electric
Colored Pencil, Glitter
A.P. Leto High School
Art Teacher: Jackie Lucas
Grade 11
The inspiration for this piece was my first time experimenting with my creativity and the way it has positively affected my life. This piece represents the shock of having an awakening and the way it has evolved within me. The use of complementary colors represents the differences between my internal world and physical space.
Sarah Tellez
The Self I Can’t Swallow
Colored Pencil, Watercolor
A.P. Leto High School
Art Teacher: Jackie Lucas
Grade 12
My inspiration for this piece was to dedicate and expose a part of my life that was eating away at who I was. I responded to the theme by making my piece uncomfortable visually, to give a sense of discomfort. I drew myself smiling to represent how delusional I was in this state of abnormality. The decapitation symbolizes taking parts (my head/face/personality) away from myself.
Adrianne Cruz
Dreamstate Banjo
Colored Pencil
Joe E. Newsome High School
Art Teacher: Nayoung Lee
Grade 12
In Dreamstate Banjo, I created this artwork to express my love for music and create a dreamlike mood. I used a surreal style by blending a banjo with piano keys and adding unexpected objects to challenge reality. Inspired by surrealist art, I wanted the piece to feel strange yet bold. Using Prismacolor colored pencils, I focused on soft textures and strong colors to bring this imaginative scene to life.
Hailey McLean
Sewing Seeds
Mixed Media
Joe E. Newsome High School
Art Teacher: Nayoung Lee
Grade 10
Gabvn Vallenilla
Family Dinner
Acrylic, Colored Pencil
Joe E. Newsome High School
Art Teacher: Nayoung Lee
Grade 12
I applied my feelings about my complicated family dynamic to a post-apocalyptic world, rooted in my deep love for history. Like Dalí would explore his identity in his work, I explored my own by swapping places with the roasted pig at dinner with my perfect nuclear family. The displacement of the pig at the dinner table— representative of how I feel displaced in my own life and in a reality that isn’t quite right.
Lola Brandon
Tomato-ToMEto
Mixed Media
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade 11
Harper Emerson
Liberty
Watercolor, Colored Pencil, Graphite, Ink, Gouache, Tempera
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Josephine Johnson
Grade 9
My work was inspired by my life and the artwork Lincoln in Dalívision specifically the girl in the painting, I aimed to show how society loves to watch and judge as other people struggling with not fitting in and seeking more in this work I use paranoia-critical method one of these images, The girl, is one I personally connected to. She just wants freedom. Looking at Dali‘s work feels like visiting his mind.
Marlowe Norton
Skin Me Not
Acrylic
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade 11
Colin Reiss
Adolescence
Mixed Media
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade 10
Augie Richardson
Who Am I? Who Are You?
Acrylic
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade 11
Sophia Stavropoulos
I’ll Take The Wheel
Colored Pencil, Ink
H.B. Plant High School
Art Teacher: Josephine Johnson
Grade 11
My work was created with many other options in mind, but after many trials that just didn’t feel right, I landed on this scenario. This scene portrays my sort of habits. The figure stopped in the road is the same as the face seen behind the wheel. My issues are usually self-inducing, and I forget to remind myself that it is up to me to make the decision to change the possible outcomes of things.
Hailey Dulin
Déjà vu
Colored Pencil, Ink
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade 11
I made a surreal drawing. I started by taking newspaper and glueing different subjects together to make an unnatural picture for my reference. I then sketched on a blank piece of paper with modified broken pencil lines. I then over with ink erasing the pencil lines in the processes. I relate to this drawing for the half cake half women is getting taken advantage of by the other subjects. I then used color pencils to really bring out the color for a feeling of dream-like surrealism
Ava Pradera
Dalí and Me
Mixed Media
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade 11
My piece Dalí and Me was inspired by how artists from the past, especially Salvador Dalí, shape the imagination of young artists today. I responded to the theme of the surreal self by blending portraiture with dreamlike symbolism. Using distortion and unexpected scale, I explored identity as fluid and strange, honoring Dalí’s ability to turn the familiar into something unforgettable.
Adrian Ramirez
Where This Flower Blooms
Digital Art
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Royce Wills
Grade 9
This a digital painting that I created using Adobe Photoshop. The topic of the assignment was to make a surreal representation of myself. I drew myself as a flower surrounded by other flowers and eyes to represent being constantly watched and judged by others. The hands in the background are my own hands, added to enhance the composition and create a sense of urgency.
Riley Cloversette
Endeavoring for More of Me
Acrylic, Charcoal Colored Pencil, Marker, Watercolor
Riverview High School
Art Teacher: Valerie Skindel
Grade 10
To be a person is difficult. Like a frog, I jumped between interests and people, trying to find myself. I see how happy I am with those I have today. I am free like a dragonfly, breaking away from the mask I hid behind. I’m happy being myself and vulnerable with the ones I love. I won’t be this me forever, but I love who I am.
Emily Mervine
Work Is Never Done
Acrylic, Colored Pencil
Riverview High School
Art Teacher: Valerie Skindel
Grade 10
The Pitcher plant, a plant that shows hope and is one I personally love, stands as a vessel to hold my longing hope for better health living with a chronic illness. However, as Dalí used in his works, ants can take away that hope and lead to sick days. But the daddy long legged spider, a French symbol of hope, is bringing the hope back and ensuring that better days may come.
Dalia Ducker
Perspectival Bloom
Graphite
Walter L. Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade 9
A surreal artwork where a head looks as if it were a flowerpot with leaves and vines overgrow it, representing personal growth with a chaotic background. The lack of color shows that there is more self-improvement to come.
Devyn McNiff
Thread of Thoughts
Colored Pencil, Ink, Acrylic Paint Markers
Walter L. Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade 12
This piece portrays a representation of myself and my thoughts. The film strip surrounding the main figure is intended to reveal my long-lasting thoughts of hyper fixations throughout each day. I purposefully included more than one symbol to elaborate how I am never thinking of a singular aspect. These symbols also vary between specific franchises or interests I find most relatable and important to me.
Katherine Oliverio
Fallen From Grace
Acrylic
Walter L. Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade 10
My artwork uses a blend of realism and abstract patterns to portray an angelic figure. She is expected to be perfect, yet she carries her own burdens and pains, expressed by her pale skin, hunched form and the scars on her back where wings emerge from. Ultramarine fabric embraces her, contrasting the dark webbing surrounding her that begs her to lose herself in the void, escaping the idealistic expectations placed upon her.
Kenneth Parker
MyS3lf
Acrylic, Ink, Watercolor
Walter L. Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade 11
I was inspired by an online analog horror series by Doctor Nowhere when creating this piece while also placing myself as a self-insert cat snail hybrid to express the weird dreamlike state I find myself in constantly while awake and asleep. I draw influence from the subconscious mind and dream state like our Surrealism artist. Waking up mid dream, boarding the line of reality and fantasy, makes for a creative break that is expressive of my mind.
Sophia Cui
Tainted
Watercolor, Marker
Steinbrenner High School
Art Teacher: Kris Watkinson
Grade 10
Tainted is an art-piece I had a dream about when thinking about this topic. The person at the center is noticeably different than the others.
Lanie Towe
The Voice of Venom
Acrylic, Colored Pencil
Steinbrenner High School
Art Teacher: Kris Watkinson
Grade 12
She brings the phone to her ear, oblivious to the bright coral lies draped around her neck. Confusion spirals behind her as the venom sinks into the ears that have been so carelessly clogged with naivety.
E. Perez-Cancin
Incased Isolationist Barbwire
Colored Pencil
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade 10
This piece conveys the isolation that the perceived notion of fulfillment is hiding within. Stuck in a jar with deep sorrow and regret rather than the romanticized version on the exterior. Vulnerability from the interior that is gradually revealing itself. Loneliness encapsulated in unconventional parts of the body.
Violet Saladino
Duress’s Doppelganger
Graphite
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade 9
This piece represents the toll of stress. Through setting and lack of color, there is a place of comfort that is torn to pieces by your own doing. The is room overridden by symbols of obsession and sadness, with a small ray of “hope” filtering through the window. Warped floorboards represent wavering sense of self and hesitancy. Open drawers and the white roses highlight broken innocence and a gateway to the subconscious.
Luke Botardo
Ethereal
Acrylic
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Amanda Winkler
Grade 12
Gianna Elie
Queen of Eden
Colored Pencil
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: April McMillion
Grade 11
Alisha Eugene
Surreal Self
Colored Pencil
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Kim Piercy
Grade 12
Christian Guilbaud
A Lot Going On
Mixed Media
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: April McMillion
Grade 12
Bailey Slaughter
Something is Wrong
Colored Pencil, Acrylic
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Amanda Winkler
Grade 11
This piece is representative of how I feel like I am missing parts of myself, do not belong, and that something is wrong with me. I felt the best way to represent this would to be contrasting realism with glitching and missing assets similar to a video-game character. I was inspired by disturbing, self-reflective art and games I have seen online.
Malik Walker
Passion Fruit
Colored Pencil
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Amanda Winkler
Grade 12
Isabele Osborn
Helpless
Graphite
Paul R. Wharton High School
Grade 10
I was inspired by the memories that make up who I am today. This piece is based on my family, myself, and my feelings. I used juxtaposition and symbolism that represent different aspects of my memories and how I am connected to those moments.This piece is about growth and personal feelings, and it’s easy to feel like you have no control. My siblings, father, mother, and myself are in the piece.