“Happy Barfday!” represents my relationship with sweets and insatiable hunger as I grow older. Ants crawl from my mouth trailing towards the birthday cake. The birthday set represents as each passing year, my cravings feel more and more out of my control. In this piece, I experimented with modeling paste, using it to mimic the texture of frosting. In utilizing actual texture, I further emphasized the foreshortened perspective. I wanted to communicate the idea of uncontrollable desire. As ants crowd open treats, they swarm and eat anything until it’s gone. The pastel palette and playful party elements contrast with the ants’ unsettling presence, highlighting the disruption hunger brings. Although this work is based on my own experiences, I hope to relate to others facing the same dilemma through this piece.