Joanne Chong

Willetton Senior High School

Year 11

Oil paint on canvas, coloured pencil

51 x 51 x 1.5 cm

In my work, Overwhelming Ambition, I seek to capture the intensity of overcommitment, where fulfilment and emptiness coexist. It is the paradox of striving: the more I reach, the more cluttered my world becomes, until I am left wondering if I am building or burdening myself. During the creation process, I struggled to fit everything within the composition, reflecting how I often push myself to impossible standards. I deliberately avoided making a single focal point, forcing the eye to wander endlessly. There is no place to pause, no moment of stillness, no singular destination. Every item embodies a moment that contributed to my identity: what I strive for, cherish, and the experiences of my evolving self.