Dream of Mine, I Dream of Me is a collage on canvas made from old magazine clippings. It is a chaotic composition, showcasing different yet notable travel destinations piled over one another—each fighting for the spotlight. At the center foreground is a paper airplane, quiet and unassuming, yet capturing most of the viewer’s attention. It seems to both blend in and stand out at the same time.
This collage explores the chaotic beauty of travel and the endless desire to explore. I created a dense, layered composition that captures the overwhelming flood of images, ideas, and dreams that fill my mind when I think about the world and the adventures beyond our doorstep. Each destination fights for attention, reflecting how every place holds a story, a history, and a pull on our imagination.
At the heart of this chaos lies the paper airplane—something small and simple. The airplane symbolizes the intimate, personal act of deciding where to go, how to get there, and what it means to embark on a new journey. It both blends in and stands out, representing the paradoxical nature of travel: familiar yet extraordinary, small yet capable of carrying us far.
Through this artwork, I hope people can see the beautiful chaos that is the dream of traveling. Even though many of these images depict places I’ve been, they still exist in my mind as part of a fantasy world—one I strive to visit again.
By Nina Noguera