A Room for Storytelling: The Piano Lesson by August Wilson

Type:    Concept Sketches
Date:    2025
School:    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Instructor:    Betsy West

This studio project was a practice in translating a short story into physical space. This exercise was not meant to recreate specific environments within the stories selected, but to design space that would enhance the telling of the story itself. My chosen short story was The Piano Lesson by American playwright August Wilson.

 This design aimed to reflect the key themes of August Wilson’s play: confronting the past, generational legacy, and the struggle for self-determination in the face of racism and the lingering effects of slavery.





Fado Lamp:… an Object of Topophilia

Type:    3D Printed Sculpture
Date:    2024
School:    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Instructor:    Rick Luu
“Topophilia is a term that describes a strong emotional connection or love that people develop for a particular place or environment. It can also refer to a person’s mental, emotional, and cognitive ties to a place. The term is derived from the Greek words topos (place) and philia (love or affection). Topophilia can encompass a range of emotions, such as: Satisfaction, Attachment, Fascination, and Nostalgia.” — via Google’s AI Overview

The following sculpture was the result of a semester-long search to answer the self-imposed question, “Can an identity be summarized into a single object?” This “stage for light” attempts to objectify phenomenological aspects of the Portuguese tradition, specifically studying images of its coast and the tradition of fado music.



Sketch Film 002, Separation

(2024, 3.5 min)



Type:    Film
Date:    2024
School:    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
A short film that explores depth and scale through framing that allows the architecture and space to tell a story.
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Music: Emily Sage

Sketch Film 001

(2024, 2.5 min, Lisbon)



Type:    Film
Date:    2024
School:    University of North Carolina at Charlotte
A film sketch analyzing the spatial relationships between four locations in Lisbon, Portugal through a collage of visuals and sounds.