STATEMENT OF WORK

Most of my thoughts are questions. Most of my questions are open-ended. I’m not alone in this, we travel together in a caravan through a shared terrain of grey area. Our journey fatigues me, but also fills me with inspiration. My hungry imagination is fed by curious questioning. And never finding certainties, countless possibilities emerge.

As a studio artist with interests in image-making, writing, and philosophy, I value both intellectual exploration and technical skill. My questioning, observing, and pattern-seeking bring vivid images to my mind’s eye, and I put them onto paper. To develop as an image-maker, I’ve learned to draft, paint, etch, and photograph, and I’ve studied art history, comics, and color theory. Most significantly, I’ve worked extensively with water-based materials—ink, gouache, and watercolor—fascinated by their fluidity and subtlety, which reflect my inquisitive nature.

I am a seeker, exploring religion, philosophy, science, mathematics, writing, and of course, imagery, to find meaning.

During my undergraduate art studies, I minored in computer science and studied combinatorics, the mathematics of counting and arranging. I learned ways to describe the infinite arrangements of our ten digits, and was left feeling optimistically small. I began to use this combinatoric approach in my artwork, reassembling common symbols—birds, lamps, paths, chess boards — into sequential compositions.

Literature has been another significant source of imagery — haiku poetry and religious mythology, surrealist novels and modernist plays — I draw from writing which explores the uncertainties of life. Particularly inspired by the haikus of Richard Wright, I began working on visualization of the haiku form. The images appear simple, reference plants and animals, depict seasons, and sometimes include explicit ‘cuts’ - or moments of pause - with panels and doubled imagery.

The questions that inspire me are prompted by personal experiences. It is through my studies across subjects, aided by intentional cognitive abstraction, that I connect them to universal themes. As an individual with ardent familial relationships and a deep interest in religion, I often find myself reflecting on companionship, agency, and obligation. I’m fascinated by the role of the individual within the collective—how each person maintains an inner monologue, perceives ‘self’ and ‘other’, and determines right from wrong. I make drawings and paintings, in part, because I believe in their capacity to bridge intellectual and emotional realms across individuals. Art opens doors into our inner worlds and helps us find commonality and connection.

Though my inspirations lean towards abstraction, I make drawings and paintings with clarity and precision. I work methodically, in stages, beginning with energetic sketching. My drawings are efficient - fleeting visions are captured in a few simple gestures. When I make paintings, I use translucent layers of color. I practice patience, allowing time for my pigments to soak the paper and dry. Always, I approach my work playfully, and this tone is evident in my work. My whimsical palette and lyrical lines bring a lightness that balances existential themes. Recently, I’ve been working on a smaller scale, no larger than 9”x12” — I’m exploring what can be achieved with minimal paint and space and working smaller allows me to match the speed and immediacy of my ideas.

In every part of my image-making process, my hands play an important role, connecting intellectual knowledge with embodied experience. My processes mirror my philosophies, my practice is one that embraces the unknown and the unspoken through the interplay of material, body, and idea.