Says junior student Ava DeLorenzo of #iamamasterpice, the art project featured by The Times, “I started this project to promote self love. Basically, I’ve painted famous, well-known paintings onto people. The idea behind it is that all people are masterpieces. What I’m saying is we should all love, admire, adore, and inspire ourselves as art does for us. And not only is this about acknowledging the beauty within yourself, but also seeing the beauty all around. Within all races, social classes, religious backgrounds, genders, weight differences, sexualities, the list keeps going.”

She has been a student of accomplished artist and art teacher Shirlene Alexander for 3 years. She is in her second year in the Project Talent after-school program, also under Alexander. Away from school art, DeLorenzo paints upon shoes and sells the finished product.

“There is beauty everywhere,” she adds, “in every single person you come across. That’s what inspired this project; I couldn’t get over how beautiful everyone around me truly was. So not only is #iamamasterpiece SO true and SO important, but #youareamasterpiece is as equally important. Let’s all spread self love and love for others.”

See 13 of the DeLorenzo paintings at The Times.