“Burden of Dreams” is a title I came up with to represent the struggle of moving to New York as someone who has never lived in a compacted city. I came to New York to attend New York University and achieve my dreams. The title of this project hearkens back to two separate sources: the 1982 movie of the same namesake “Burden of Dreams” as well as the V17 (9A) rock-climbing boulder climb. The project focuses on the duality of one’s dreams, an entity which manifests both as fetters and as wings. Dreams have a funny habit of never coming true for most, but for those who choose to chase the flickering flame, the mental strain is exhausting. I have found myself losing grip on who I am as a person. I most definitely am not the same as I was when I first arrived two years ago. I find multiple different marks on me, different habits left by the others I have met. In conjunction with the mental strain resulting from driving my legs towards my dream. I find there is a rage inside me. I don’t know if this is a sociocultural adaptation on my part to New York, but I see this rage physically manifested all around me as well in the destruction of the city. Shattered screens, raked windows, marked up subway seats - all these textures speak to me. As such I create these portraits, portraits which use the physical remnants of anger in New York in conjunction with portraits of my friends to create a representation of the mental strain behind those seeking glory.