Project 1: I Am a Palm Tree
In the project, Lex created 20 designs, ranging from graphic forms to stylized interpretations inspired by the iconography of Los Angeles palm trees. She then wove these designs into a video, selecting five to be silkscreened onto 106 express boxes. Through this work, Lex explores three fundamental questions: Who am I, what influences me, and what sparks my curiosity? She likens herself to a Southern California palm tree—an outsider, not native but transplanted. Like the palm, her identity takes root as a newcomer to this land, embracing the journey of cultural assimilation and self-discovery. As both she and the palm are shaped by the culture of Los Angeles, Lex learns to navigate praise and critique, becoming an observer of this land’s patterns, systems, and phenomena. The culture of LA, with its subtle and profound influence, arrives like 'delivery packages,' gifts to carry into her unfolding future, as she eagerly awaits more to come from other cultures.