Angelica Busque Chicago, Illinois Second Award $6,000 Age 25

"Artists have the great ability of telling their own story in ways which others can't. For six months straight I sat down at a coffeehouse with my pen and ink. I worked on a 56 page graphic novel that best expressed my journey so far with lupus. I present this graphic novel in a comic format that I call Morning Star."

Angelica Busque credits the act of creating as a way to communicate her thoughts and feelings from a very early age. "I felt safe to explore and be who I am, by being able to work on a piece of art without ever feeling like I was doing or saying something wrong." Busque began her studies with traditional media, but along the way discovered a passion for sound and video production. In 2001, she began to have health problems that would cause her life to slow down tremendously. By the age of 23, she was hospitalized 6 times and diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus, and avascular necrosis that resulted in unbearable hip pain. A hip replacement allowed Busque to walk again. "Knowing what little time we all have causes me to realize how blessed I am. I am able to shift gears and realize that it's okay to take it slow. I always want to remember what I felt that night: being able to dance again and walk without limping, knowing that I was able to get out of bed that day."

Influential Art Teachers/Professors:
Jerome Lemenu, Center for Advanced Studies in the Arts, Michigan