Mailan L. Rufino

As an enthusiast about all things art, I love community and creating safe inclusive spaces. I am Vietnamese/Filipino, and a queer woman. I have always felt very spread out in terms of identity. This led to many years of trying to fit into one or another community, but I realized this also allowed me to be in touch with so many parts of my life.

Struggling with mental illness is a big part of my childhood and my art. While it is a part of who I am today, I do not believe it has to only have a negative connotation because it has taught me resilience and perseverance. I was always empathetic and very emotional. Because I felt things so strongly I became easily invested in things I found interesting. This led me to use art as a creative outlet. I strive to make people feel strong emotions with my art and stories while simultaneously inspiring them as well. I enjoyed hearing people’s stories and incorporating them into endless streams of creativity and pools of information.

Where I lack experience, I make up for it with hard work by putting in the necessary time and more to be able to adapt to different settings and people while being a fast and eager learner. I take feedback well and implement it while keeping it true to the vision. I enjoy working in close knit, diverse teams but also do well independently. Because I am able to be a part of so many different communities I want to also create spaces where anyone can belong and come together to create great art!

My most recent previous works I have been apart of has been creating a logo design for a mural project called Never Again Is Now as well as a current project where I am a character designer for a short film from SJSU Animation/Illustration program. I would be a great candidate for this role due to my ability to adapt to various styles as well as being an enthusiast of dark fantasy.