Childlike Wonder with Real-World Reflections

On a chilly Thursday afternoon, inside of a cafe on George Street, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Van Aileen, and got a peak into their inside world of art, and discovery. Through this conversation, Van walked us through their journey of attacking real-world problems through the creation of imaginary characters.

Nostalgia often brings people back to simpler times. Looking back on childhood is a secret way to cope with the troubles we have, but for multimedia artist Van Aileen, it also becomes a way to examine the present, and reflect in a grounded way. Van’s work blends childlike wonder with inner reflection, creating whimsical worlds that feel both playful and emotionally grounded. Their work spans across paintings, tattoo designs, and interactive video game art. Van draws from the visual language of childhood to explore modern problems, shedding light on the storytelling of their own self, and others. In this article, you will see how Van turns imagination into a powerful artistic voice. Sydney Ameigh

Sometimes, an artist’s goal when making their art tends to relate to their own self, in the means of self-discovery, self- expression, or simply clearing their head. While Van implements all of these things into her process, she also puts a lot of her purpose of art into giving a voice to people who do not have a platform to do so.

After speaking with Van, the answer was obvious, Van is for the people. They’re main goal when creating these various forms of art is to give voices to those who are forced into silence. To give platforms to people who cannot reach high enough, all while creating a universe of her own.

That is not all, another major aspect of Van’s art is the need to storytell. Being from Peruvian heritage, Van asked themselves, “how could I translate different fables, folktales, and make it my own in a more modern context?” The “whimsy” aspect that shines through Van’s art comes from her storytelling through it. All of this has come naturally, starting at two years old, and developing with her as she grew older.

One word, “agency.” Van believes that art is universal, but community is for you, it is specific to each person. Van wants people to take away agency from her art by helping people find a space where they feel a sense of belonging.

The real-world issues being demonstrated through Van’s artwork are meant to be connected to. She hopes that experiencing her art can make these problems easier to grasp and comprehend, as it is done in a whimsical and gentle way.

Have you ever been to a museum? What emotion do you feel when looking at a piece of artwork that speaks to you? Sometimes you may feel inspired, grateful, motivated etc. Van has a purpose within their art and hopes that when people experience their work, they feel “reflective.”

“I would never tell people, “you HAVE to feel this,” or “you should walk away being the most inspired person ever.” Just going home and being like, “ok, this has me thinking about how I can create community?” Not necessarily asking, more so an invitation for reflection.”

As we reach the end of spring semester 2026, we are also creeping up on Van’s graduation. Some may see this as the end of childhood wonder. The point in our lives where we need to leave behind these imaginative things, and get realistic. But, for everyone including Van, this is simply turning a page. A new chapter in the storybook of our lives, and her work is far from over.

Van’s biggest project has officially been released for the public to see, students to take inspiration from, and family to be proud of. Van Aileen’s thesis is titled “A Transient Space to Return To.” This went on display March 12th in Mason Gross Galleries, and it did not disappoint. It is a big, life sized sculpture she made by hand. It is quite literally a space to return to, as you can enter the house- like sculpture, and sit in tranquility within the beauty of it. Through the labor of this project, it has healed so many things inside of Van, and with the support of her grandmother, who showed her this passion in her early life, she was able to express her love of her grandmother, her heritage, and art as a whole through her thesis.