Hello! My name is Thomas, and I am currently studying Studio Art at the University of California, Irvine. I have had an interest in the arts since childhood, and have been pursuing the arts ever since. Although my work has shifted over the years from simple drawings to a range of works that address both formal and conceptual issues, I still find the process of art-making enjoyable. I enjoy working in various mediums including colored pencil, gouache, photography, and even some digital media, which I have recently been exploring. (I have barely touched web design, however, thus explaining my visually lacking profile page.) My most recent interest is in graphic design and commercial art, which I have begun studying on my own time, as UCI unfortunately does not offer such programs. However, my upcoming thesis project for the CHP, which I will be working on for the Winter and Spring quarters of 2009, will explore the design tactics used in popular advertising campaigns today, and I am greatly looking forward to working on it. Besides art and design, much of my interest resides in Japanese popular culture, including music, movies, television, and comics. This interest originates from my early exposure to such culture as a child and my frequent family trips to Japan, as my mother is Japanese and refuses to speak English. After graduating from UCI, I hope to enter a career in which I can continue to explore some or all of my interests.