Jonathan Orduna
Artist Statement
Ever since I was a boy, anime was my guide and companion growing up as a new citizen of the United States from Mexico. For as long as I can remember I’ve had always the ability to draw. Drawing from cartoonish to near life like figures that I watch especially anime such as Dragon Ball Z, drawing and coloring the characters, their forms and hypothetical fusions and adsorption forms of the villains and protagonists. From elementary to middle school, I was merely a child without a care in the world, but as I was evaluating throughout my grades, and with the strong, but reasonable words from my mother and sister, I knew there would be the time I needed to find my path in life. I secretly asked God what my purpose in life was? Until my sophomore year, I never realized, let alone knew of my status as an autistic person, never felt that I was someone on the spectrum. And yet, I felt proud and honored that despite the drawback of said disability, I had a gift that I could consider to be my personal superpower. And just before I graduated from high school, I told my friends, instructors, mentors, and family not only my eternal gratitude, but what my dream was. “I am going to become an anime director of my own series!” And ever since, I have gone through several projects, exams, assignments, and finals. Finally, my required academic remedials, graduating with an Associate’s in Digital Media Design and currently taking on my final semester to earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and Minor in Entrepreneurship. Now, my dream has evolved further, it is become one that I desire to become a creator of anime series, writing them in book (light novel) series for adaptations and to be the founder and owner of my production company so that more people of talent and vision could come together, find work and to have a place to belong and still be different.
