CTEF 2025 Art Contest Division IV Award
“I choose not to place ‘DIS’ in my ability.” ― Robert M. Hensel.
Throughout history, people with a biological condition that restricts some of their abilities have been termed “disabled.” For example, a person born blind would be termed “disabled” because they didn’t have the ability to see. A person who lost their arms in an accident would be considered “disabled,” as they lost the ability to use their hands for things like typing or playing the piano. Because of this connotation of uselessness (“disable” is, after all, the opposite of “enable”), the term “disabled” is often used with pity or condescension for the disabled person.
Not only is this mentality rude towards people with disabilities, but it also portrays disabled people as people who can’t contribute to society as well as everyone else. This prevents disabled people from trying to improve and make up for their disability, suppressing their identity and their dreams. In reality, many people throughout history have overcome their disabilities and achieved more than others thought was possible, such as Helen Keller and Stephen Hawking, by rejecting exactly that mentality. These inspiring heroes show that the line between “disabled” and “able-bodied” is much more blurred than many people think, and that it’s your mind, not your body, that decides what you can do. Without people like them, events like the Paralympics wouldn’t exist.
When Robert M. Hensel gave the above quote, I believe he meant something similar that disabilities don’t disable people from doing what they love to do. We should all strive to support each other in our hopes and dreams, no matter if they’re disabled or not.
My artwork vividly expresses this message.
The zip ties prevent the hands from moving and flexing to their full ability, representing a disability. From the outside, people may only see the restriction of the disability, causing them to pity the disabled person. However, the hands are straining against their bonds, representing the struggle that disabled people go through to achieve their dreams.
Standing out from the black-and-white hands are vivid, colorful animals shining with light. The animals have various injuries or conditions that represent disabilities, but are still able to live their lives how they choose. The butterfly with tattered wings can still fly, the moose with broken antlers can still fight, and the cheetah with a prosthetic leg can still hunt. Their disabilities don’t stop them from achieving their dreams and inspiring others to do the same.
Although my artwork only portrays physical disabilities, it represents all disabilities, physical or mental, and the adversity all disabled people face during their lives.
Do No Place 'Dis' In My Ability
1
First Place
Breakthrough-Stolen Joys
每个人哪怕是孩子，生活和学习的平衡都应该被保护。在这幅画中，看不见的手和看得见的手突破了孩子底线，试图主宰孩子的学习和生活之间平衡。通过这幅作品，我为感到无能为力的同龄人发声：“把快乐还给我们，把自由还给我们。
83
Second Place
Opportunities to break through
画面中每一条丝带连接的都是冥冥之中契合的两个灵魂，遇到了那个灵魂契合的朋友，你的生活会完全突破现有的状态。这幅绘画鼓励大家走出去，通过社交，创造机遇。
87
Second Place
105
Breaking Through the Rush
This painting shows a lively neighborhood in a big city like Shanghai, where people live at their own pace. Some are rushing to work or school, while others are enjoying morning exercises, chatting with neighbors, or simply relaxing.
The theme of "Breakthrough" is reflected in how this neighborhood challenges the stereotype that life in big cities is always rushed and stressful. Breakthroughs happen when people choose to slow down, connect with others, and enjoy small moments of peace, even in a fast-moving environment.
Through this artwork, I want to show that breakthroughs don’t always come from big changes—they can also come from finding balance and creating your own rhythm in the middle of a busy world.
Second Place
Year Limbo
Breakthrough is beauty, and breakthrough is struggle. It can an epiphany in the moment or a slow process over months and years. My mixed-media painting, Year Limbo, captures the slow journey of maturing emotionally. The ability to confront fears, try new things, and believe in one’s self aren’t discoveries that occur overnight. They take time and effort, characterized by some struggle and confusion–like the ‘black’ months painted on my artwork’s calendar. Yet ultimately, the more joyous, colorful months after one discovers themself and the experiences gained from that are life-changingly memorable. This ability to create colorful times during one's life, working hard past the difficulties, is the ultimately most valuable breakthrough.
54
Third Place
Bunnies in a Box
Bunnies in a Box explores societal expectations and stereotypes imposed on women, represented through the metaphor of a magic trick—placing a person in a box and disjointing their body parts. This illusion symbolizes the disorienting experience of being pulled apart by societal demands–referencing the history of magic as a male-dominated field, echoing the control over female autonomy.
The painting juxtaposes fragmented imagery—a nun, a housewife, and a cabaret performer—to highlight conflicting gender roles expected of women. Surrounding hands, dressed in attire representing different social classes, emphasize the external pressures and pervasive gender exploration.
Through contrasts of the vibrant color and texture of the main figure and the dark red background, the piece captures the tension between predefined roles and the multifaceted nature of womanhood.
While modern society has seen significant progress in redefining gender roles and expanding freedoms for women, Bunnies in a Box serves as a reminder that the fight for equality is far from over. It calls for continued efforts to dismantle lingering stereotypes and build a more inclusive and equitable future, celebrating the breakthroughs women have achieved while pushing for even greater progress.
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Third Place
The Nth Breakthrough
一个练习舞蹈的学生，在练习有难度的技术动作时经常会跌倒。每一次跌倒后爬起来对自己都是突破，既是舞蹈技术上的突破更是意志品质的突破。不给自己设限，N次地跌倒后坚定的爬起，就是N次的突破自己。
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Third Place
Breakthrough
My work shows the struggle and effort behind every achievement, breaking through oneself. This painting depicts a dancer taking her final bow surrounded by flowers, which represent the fruits of her hard work. She is also surrounded by memories of past practices and overcoming difficulties. These past experiences seem to merge with the flowers because the two things are intertwined - there is no success without hard work. The water drops in the background represent the sweat and tears behind every effort.
102
Third Place
108
Break Through the Rain: A Kaleidoscope of Journeys 冲破雨幕：万花筒般的旅程
My artwork captures a crowded crossroads on a rainy day, where individuals move in different directions. In the center of this scene, I am sitting on a lifeguard chair, holding a giant telescope, discovering the vibrant colors that exist within every person.
The monochromatic colors of the passengers is every one of us. Walking in different directions, signifies the diversity of life experiences and the varied ways in which we all pursue success. Emphasizing the telescope, I want to highlight importance of looking beyond surface appearances to recognize the true essence of each individual.
This moment symbolizes recognizing the value in ourselves and others, despite our paths diverging. Each of us is unique, and while our paths may not always align with those of others, we are all moving forward in our own meaningful ways. The rain in the scene is a metaphor for the challenges we face, but also a reminder that beauty can emerge from even the most difficult moments.
Through this work, I hope to inspire others to embrace their individuality and appreciate the diversity that exists in each of us. We are all becoming successful in our own ways, and we should celebrate the color we bring to the world, no matter how different our journeys may be.
Third Place
Awe
The girl has her eyes covered in the beginning, for fear of seeing what’s around her. The background is pitch black, it symbolizes the unknown. People are scared of the unknown and don’t want to breakthrough the bounds they set for themselves and explore. However, in this painting, the girl created a crack between her fingers which allows her eyes to meet the light. She is breaking through her fears and deciding to explore the unknown. The light symbolizes her new found discoveries after making the momentous decision to breakthrough her bounds. She’s in awe as she’s able to see what the world around her truly looks like.
The connects to CTEF’s mission because CTEF aims to improve education in rural China and empower students to achieve the education that they deserve. The girl symbolizes the rural Chinese students. They’ve lived their whole lives with a lack of education, but because of CTEF, they are finally able to explore their own educational capabilities and pursue career paths that they would’ve never been able to done before and see the light in a world of darkness.
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Excellence
Breaking Through: Embracing Identity Beyond Boundaries
As someone who was born in America and had a relaxed upbringing by my Chinese parents, I have constantly felt like I couldn't connect to both the American people in my school, and also my Chinese peers. As a child, one of my biggest insecurities was the fact that I couldn't use chopsticks. In this painting, I am getting ready for a day at school in my bathroom. The cup of ramen symbolizes my Asian heritage, with the noodles surrounding me, showing how I feel insecure in my lack of connection to my culture. In this painting, I use a fork to peel off these noodles, demostrating how American culture has been instilled in me, and how I have tried to 'erase' my ancestry through blending in with my peers at school. The products in front of the mirror that I use to get ready are a teal color, contrasting the red that China is typically associated with. My shirt not quite red, instead it is the color pink, further showing my disconnect to my culture. Despite this, on the foggy mirror of my bathroom, I have drawn my mother and my grandmother smiling at me, showing how although I might not be as connected to my culture, my more traditionally Chinese family still love me for who I really am, helping ease my insecurities.
65
Excellence
Breaking through the clouds
很长一段时间，我都在与抑郁症作斗争，感觉自己好像正在失去自我——一种无望和绝望的感觉。在那一刻，我似乎不可能从我所处的困境中爬出来，就像画中舞者巨大的裙子投下的阴影一样，代表着许多和我一样被负面情绪所困扰的人。然而，我忽然莫名其妙地被窗外的光吸引，我想要靠自己的努力突破现在的阴霾抑郁的情绪。奋斗了很长一段时间，我走出来了，就好像突破了乌云见到了彩霞。我感觉自己战胜了自己。我创作这幅作品是为了比喻那些有勇气与苦难抗争的人，并鼓励像我一样与抑郁症作斗争的人寻求自我救赎。
92
Excellence
protect the pure world inside and break through the invisible pressure outside
画中有很多尖锐的刺，每一棵刺都代表了外界的压力，刺和刺交错着，织成了压力的丛林。
画面中每个人都在以各种姿态承受和抵御着外界的无形压力，同时努力的守护着内心的净土。我想表达，无论外界有多少压力，我们都应该保护好自己的内心不受伤害，方可不被压垮，伺机突破现状。
93
Excellence
Break through social pressure and be yourself
有些社交活动，除了无谓的闲聊，无法从中获取知识，也无法获得真正的友情，大家互相攀比，盲目崇拜，还会平添一些社交压力。
我认同一定的社交活动是必要的，但是当遇到社交压力的时候，是应该意识到回归自我？还是应该寻找方法突破社交压力？我认为趋于平静，回归自我，是突破社交压力的好方法。我们不需要强迫自己接受每一种形式的社交活动，享受独处也许是不错的选择。我的画面中是很多孩子们成群结队地一起玩耍，一个女孩在享受她的独处时光。
94
Excellence