My name is J.W. Harrison, but some may also know me as Manila Ryce. I was born and raised in north Torrance, California where I had 12 years of Catholic schooling and too many years at El Camino. Escaping community college and art store retail, I moved to southern Orange County to pursue a BFA in illustration at LCAD. Upon graduating I moved back to LA, where diversity amongst classes and cultures is not considered a bad thing. Now I paint and write for a living. I believe artists are representatives of the people, who are obligated to address real concerns with their exposure. I focus primarily on social, environmental, and political issues, often using humor as my lubricant.