The Art of Sleepless Nights

Art is a two-way reflection of what we feel and what makes us feel it. Art holds dreams and stories; it feels what we feel and succumbs to our own nature.This same principle is seen in the work of Eva Nguyen, seventeen years old, who has been creating art since she was young. Through this passion for creativity, her art was recognized at the National level and is currently being displayed in the US Capital. 

The color pencil drawing is a depiction of the artist’s own experience with insomnia, and the anguish she felt because of it. “My piece is supposed to show my feelings of frustration as I struggled with falling asleep at night, and just how painful that was for me. It was meant to represent how hard that was to deal with and also just how difficult it was in general.” 

In entirely black and white, this artwork emphasizes isolation, distress, and desperation, as the subject clings to her pillow, hoping to escape her sleepless nights. Nguyen utilized contrast and realism “to make the mood more intense,” adding to the emotion of any viewers. The piece provides a window into the artist’s mind, conveying a disquieting loneliness and echoes of protection and defeat.  

In addition to this big win, Nguyen also looks forward to her hopes and dreams for the future. 

“I’m taking art more seriously, I feel like, compared to when I was younger... when I was younger, yeah I just did it for fun and stuff, but now I guess I make art not really just for myself but also for others to view. I submit it in competitions… and I'm spending a lot of time on it to share with others… My dreams in this field are that I definitely want to sell my artwork. That's a dream I've had for a while, to sell a piece of my own art, maybe at like an art convention or something. In general, my dreams, I’d also like to make illustrations for a book at least once. I hope I can still make art that’s fun that I enjoy and that other people can enjoy looking at as well.”

As Miss Eva Nguyen continues on her journey in art, hopefully she continues to dream big, sharing her brilliance and creativity with others to come.