Kiera: Birthdays are supposed to be a happy thing, but it feels like you’re kind of leaving something behind.
Hi, I’m Kiera. I’m a Teen in Residence at MoMA, and this piece is called To the Many to Come.
When I first saw this work, I was drawn to the bright cake in the middle. It’s bright, but it’s also painted in cool colors to contrast the background, which is very warm. The other colors also help lead your eye to the cake.
Birthdays are such a big event, and I guess maybe some people feel lost in them. I know people who are like, “Oh I don’t really celebrate my birthday. It’s not a big deal,” and they try to downplay it, almost like the person in the background. Even though it’s their birthday, they’re almost overshadowed by the bright colors in the cake.
I keep on going back to the word “bittersweet.” There’s a sad-ish, empty look in the eyes, but also a slight smile. Also maybe a slight fear. I think that’s shown on the person’s face, and also the fact that there’s a bunch of numbers coming out of the smoke. And it being smoke, which is such an elusive, untouchable thing—it’s kind of showing how the years are flowing by. Really the only number that’s a solid number is the big zero on the cake, which is kind of like a very empty number.
My feelings towards the future are kind of like this piece. I’m probably projecting also [laughs], but I’m excited to grow up and all the things that come with being older. But also, like, the high school years have a lot of pressure and worry to make everything perfect, to set your future up.