"Tut" by Jaikeim is a 17"x21" piece created at a Hope Creates "Make Your MARC" event.

Artist Statement:
"Egyptian—I’m from a part of Africa where there’s a lot of Egyptian stuff. I didn’t really know a lot about where I come from, so I decided to learn about it. I’m from Ethiopia. My guitar represents the riches of Africa. My roots, where I came from—these are things I included in the design that make it unique.

Before I felt like art was just people painting to enjoy themselves. But now I know there’s meaning behind art. It’s a way people can express themselves, and there should be emotion behind it. I feel happiness and excitement when I do art, because it’s about expressing emotions and it feels good to get the feelings out.

Art is important because you can see how arts help other people, and you can use it to help yourself. It helps me to show people where I come from. It gives me a way to express my heritage. My life was pretty good before I did this program. I have good friends and family. But now, since I’ve finished the program, I think my life is even better."