STATEMENT
My work is a deep dive into the human psyche, exploring themes such as mental illness, grief, fear, anger, violence, horror, mythology, sexual pleasure, beauty, and aging. I paint portraits of female figures whose faces and expressions reveal a spectrum of psychoanalytic extremes ranging from fiery passion to silent panic. The scale of the painting corresponds with the figure's emotional state. Painting is an act of introspection and self-revelation, a celebration of the human hand's attempt to interpret and emulate reality.
My multidisciplinary practice combines sculpture, photography and painting to explore the relationship between memory, domesticity, and the evocative power of objects. I begin with a treasure hunt for figurines that appear haunted, sad, pensive, sexual, or otherwise easy to anthropomorphize. To elucidate for the viewer what I see in the objects, I arrange them in theatrically lit scenes inside dollhouses, at times transforming them through paint, wax, or resin before photographing them and using them as the basis for my paintings. I use bright colors and dark humor to engage viewers, making my work a catalyst for conversations that acknowledge and normalize the complexity, nuance, and mystery of human emotion.
Caring for my grandmother, who suffered from dementia for eleven years, deeply influenced my work. Her habit of arranging figurines, flowers, and miniatures in her home inspired me to study how objects can serve as metaphors for the mind and memory. Objects can hold our memories, tether us to reality, and be catalysts for storytelling. My portraits of figurines allow viewers to project movement or narrative while being acutely aware that they are frozen in time, making the overall atmosphere one of stillness and silent anticipation. Using female and androgynous figures is a deliberate choice, connecting me to my matriarchal lineage as I decide which things from my upbringing I want to hold onto and what I need to let go of.
My work is a deep dive into the human psyche, exploring themes such as mental illness, grief, fear, anger, violence, horror, mythology, sexual pleasure, beauty, and aging. I paint portraits of female figures whose faces and expressions reveal a spectrum of psychoanalytic extremes ranging from fiery passion to silent panic. The scale of the painting corresponds with the figure's emotional state. Painting is an act of introspection and self-revelation, a celebration of the human hand's attempt to interpret and emulate reality.
My multidisciplinary practice combines sculpture, photography and painting to explore the relationship between memory, domesticity, and the evocative power of objects. I begin with a treasure hunt for figurines that appear haunted, sad, pensive, sexual, or otherwise easy to anthropomorphize. To elucidate for the viewer what I see in the objects, I arrange them in theatrically lit scenes inside dollhouses, at times transforming them through paint, wax, or resin before photographing them and using them as the basis for my paintings. I use bright colors and dark humor to engage viewers, making my work a catalyst for conversations that acknowledge and normalize the complexity, nuance, and mystery of human emotion.
Caring for my grandmother, who suffered from dementia for eleven years, deeply influenced my work. Her habit of arranging figurines, flowers, and miniatures in her home inspired me to study how objects can serve as metaphors for the mind and memory. Objects can hold our memories, tether us to reality, and be catalysts for storytelling. My portraits of figurines allow viewers to project movement or narrative while being acutely aware that they are frozen in time, making the overall atmosphere one of stillness and silent anticipation. Using female and androgynous figures is a deliberate choice, connecting me to my matriarchal lineage as I decide which things from my upbringing I want to hold onto and what I need to let go of.