2019 | STATEMENT​
In my practice, I utilize mixed media drawing and printmaking as a way to explore themes of mental and emotional experience through mark making. For me, drawing, and printmaking ia a means of investigating my own trauma in relation to mental health, and its effect on personal identity.
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This often takes form in how I relate the complexities of the mind to the delicacy and resilience of the Earth. I am fascinated by plant matter, cell structures, topographic maps, neurons, and emotion. I look at plant cell slides and brain scans from scientific studies on depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Much of this comes through in my composition and mark making. In my work, scattered lines and soft colors merge together to create a fractured and ethereal aesthetic.
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I believe that my fascination with these things stems from my personal experience with gun violence. As a survivor of gun violence, I view my work as a form of advocacy and resistance. Whether I’m pursuing projects like “Dear America…”, which is a photo emulsion series photo-documenting survivors and their experiences, or “Reflections”, a personal exploration of art making that is heavily derived from the printmaking process, I find that my work speaks to the focused, personal aspects of gun violence.
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My work is meditative and layered through the process of chine-collé, monoprinting, and various mixed media techniques. I focus heavily on the self in relationship to identity, introspection, and personal experience. To me, this process feels like its own form of reflection. I begin a piece with large gestural and emotional layers and finish with fine detailed marks that dominate the topmost layers, creating a sense of meditation on the emotions that lie beneath the surface of the work. I consider my work a success when through its creation, I find some semblance of healing.
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