The American National Election Studies (ANES) stands as a national survey of U.S. voters, conducted both before and after every presidential election since 1948. It holds a venerable status as one of the longest-running surveys in the realm of U.S. political research, revered for its academic recognition.

In this 21st century marked by the dynamics of race, immigration, and polarization, Americans are grappling with the intricate task of shaping their identities. Amidst these complexities, two pivotal yet paradoxical factors intertwine: the ever-increasing significance of political and social identity and the divergent forces of division and unity that mold our society. Leveraging ANES data, I have visualized the evolving patterns of identity formation among contemporary Americans. These patterns are presented alongside portrait paintings, an artistic representation of our current existence.

*The heatmap used in this work visually represents data by assigning colors to the individual values found within a matrix.