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Michael Lee

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

The first time I seriously wanted to be an artist was when I played a game called the “Pickaxe series.” This game is a free-to-play game created by a two-person development team with a unique and creative setting, with a strange and funny story. The game’s unique characteristics and narrative made me fall in love with creating something. I have always loved observing and analyzing things. In particular, I like to immerse myself in, understand, and contemplate elements such as literary stories, directing, background settings, character design, philosophical and humanistic themes, and the narratives of each character and their relationships in entertainment, cultural works such as movies, comics, and games. Therefore, I express the experiences of wonder and grandeur that I once experienced through symbolic objects, starting with the arrangement of various objects in my paintings, and at the same time, share my unique story with others. Because I wanted to let them analyze, consider, and experience my world in their own way. Perhaps this is my desire as an artist. And in order to realize my ambitions that contain my values, I think that by receiving financial support, such as a scholarship for financially burdensome elements, such as university tuition fees, I can lighten this burden and focus more on my work, leading to better progress and completion of my work. In other words, this financial support will help me make my college life more comfortable, which will in turn expedite the work of completing the story I wanted to share with others.

Education

Laguna College of Art and Design

Bachelor's degree program
2025 - 2028
  • Majors:
    • Fine and Studio Arts

Northwood High School

High School
2021 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Visual and Performing Arts, General
    • Visual and Performing Arts, Other
    • Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      • Arts
    • Dream career goals:

      Author

      Sports

      Badminton

      Club
      2022 – Present4 years

      Research

      • Philosophy

        Student
        2022 – Present

      Arts

      • Art

        Illustration
        Stories, Arts
        2018 – Present

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        School — Student
        2020 – 2021
      WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
      Winner
      I plan to make a positive impact on the world through storytelling. Rather than providing direct answers about how people should live, I want to create stories that encourage individuals to reflect on their own beliefs, values, and purpose. Through mediums such as comics, novels, and video games, I hope to share philosophical ideas in a way that is engaging, emotional, and accessible to a wide audience. At the center of my artistic vision is the belief that every person must ultimately find their own answer to life's questions. My goal is not to persuade people to adopt my worldview, but to invite them into a journey of reflection. By experiencing my stories, I hope audiences will be inspired to examine their own convictions, confront their doubts, and discover meanings that are uniquely their own. Many of my narratives are shaped by the tension between the Seven Deadly Sins—wrath, sloth, lust, greed, envy, pride, and avarice—and the Seven Heavenly Virtues—patience, diligence, chastity, temperance, kindness, humility, and charity. Through the conflict and balance between these opposing forces, I explore what it means to remain human in a world filled with hardship, uncertainty, and imperfection. These themes allow me to examine both the darkness and potential within humanity, while emphasizing the choices people make in response to their circumstances. I am particularly interested in addressing the challenge of nihilism. At some point, many people encounter feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, or despair. Rather than denying those experiences, I want my stories to acknowledge them while offering an alternative perspective: that meaning is not something waiting to be discovered, but something people can create through their own will, relationships, and actions. Even when confronted with suffering or uncertainty, individuals still possess the freedom to define what matters to them. In the end, I simply want to share what may seem like a childish, foolish, and overly romantic fairy tale. Yet I believe there is value in such stories. Life often feels repetitive, and the world may not always change as much as we hope. Even so, human beings have the ability to change themselves, shape their values, and influence the world around them. Through my art, I hope to share a story of freedom—the belief that despite our limitations, we still have the power to choose what kind of life we wish to create and what kind of future we wish to pursue.