Callan Porter-Romero grew up in a Black, Japanese, and Mexican household in Oakland, CA. With a background in ecology, she observes how living beings, such as plants and humans, engage with one another. Her artwork intentionally centers people from her community, using recycled material and paint to convey the weight of labor and invisible hardships through the perspective of hands. She is especially interested in conveying the intimacy of self discovery by capturing how people reclaim their humanity despite society emphasizing their replaceability. Furthermore, she paints what occurs in one’s quiet moments and how it shapes their connection to the world. Over the years, she has exhibited my paintings in several venues, such as the de Young Museum and the Berkeley Art Center.