STATEMENT OF WORK

I am interested in the relationship between the internal and the external, particularly how they
develop and converge with one another. I’m interested in the moment where the inside of the
mouth meets the lip — how feelings become thoughts, which then become movements,
words, or marks, and eventually, paintings. The internal and external are so intertwined and
ultimately the same pulsing thing, but simultaneously so distinct. I’m captivated by the
cyclical nature of this symbiosis: how internal parts gestate and are invariably birthed, over
and over again.

When I paint, I am thinking about these invisible, internal shifts and their mystery. I want to
explore the threshold between these two realms and how they influence and shape one
another. I’m interested in the transitions from outer life to inner life and the liminal states that
ensue. For example, when one sinks into a deep sleep, I’m intrigued by the images and
sensations one experiences moving from external realities to interior-subjective realities. I am
interested in the process by which we construct our realities (or how they are constructed for
us through mass media and other systems of control), and how they are deconstructed and
reconstructed repeatedly - as in waking consciousness and dreams.

Recently, I’ve found myself drawn to painting eyes and pools in my work — as they both
reflect the external world but also contain infinite inner depths one can sink into, mirroring
the emotional and psychological spaces within. Originally, I was influenced by images from
veterinary archives of the eyes of livestock. I liked that in these almost abstract, close-up
pictures of cattle eyes, the external things they were seeing at the time are superimposed over
the internal depths of the eye’s anatomy.

Mark Fisher’s concept of capitalist realism — the idea that capitalism is so entrenched in our
society it shapes not only our external reality but also our internal lives — resonates with my
work. I’m interested in how external systems of control can infiltrate our subconscious and
become imposed forces of self-surveillance and affect how we experience our emotions,
thoughts, dreams, and sense of self. Even though our external world permeates our internal
worlds, the vastness and ambiguity of our inner worlds can also feel like a refuge — an
escape from the constructed illusions of reality imposed by external systems.

The animals in my paintings are not literal depictions; they serve as symbolic guides, leading
the viewer into the subconscious realms of emotion and self-reflection. They embody the
parts of us that are attuned to nature’s cycles, aware of the interconnectedness of life, death,
and rebirth — the parts that exist beyond constructed societal narratives. While confronting
the lack of control over these cycles is daunting and impossible to fully comprehend, it can
also be comforting, knowing that we are part of something much larger and collective. This
sense of surrender to the unknown is a central theme in my work.