Adalyn Djap is the recipient of the Ella King Torrey 2025 Award. Her artistic journey began at age five, thanks to the early encouragement of her grandmother and the continuous support of both her parents. At Fleisher Art Memorial, she has found a supportive community that allows her to experiment and forge friendships with peers who share her creative interests. Djap plans to use the award funds to support her artistic growth, primarily by saving for future art classes and purchasing supplies.

Linda Fernandez, a visual artist, educator and founding member of Amber Art & Design, is the juror for this year’s award. While choosing only one award winner is always a challenge, she was immediately transported to a different world when presented with Adalyn’s artwork. Her landscapes, creatures, and scenes are inspired by the peace she finds in nature, the visuals she absorbs in anime, and the thoughts and images that reading books conjure up. She seeks to create a beautiful, inhabited world that the viewer can lose themselves in and Ms. Fernandez was captivated.

Djap primarily uses a mix of traditional media, including watercolor, gouache, and acrylics, but she is also exploring digital tools by taking classes at Fleisher to expand her creative process. Her goal is not just to inspire an emotional reaction, but to offer a true escape, providing a moment of peace and wonder for anyone willing to step inside her work, her imaginary utopias.

Whether you decide to enter the meticulous kingdoms Adalyn creates is completely up to you, but the invitation to enter is always present in her work. Think of it as a video game without conflict in which you must decide your course. In the two pieces of work Adalyn submitted, there’s a bridge, an open invitation to experience beauty, enjoy the moment and progress to a new level.

Gerard Silva

Director of Exhibitions & Community Outreach

Fleisher Art Memorial

 

ELLA KING TORREY 2025 APPLICANTS

Kayla Strite
Arion Li
Rowan Hyatt-Long
Sofia Korschun
Alin Spearman
Noah Wilgus