Artist Statement

Artist Statement

My work is rooted in an exploration of vulnerability, connection, and the complexities of the human experience. I am interested in the ways we carry what has happened to us - how memory shapes identity, how trauma can alter our understanding of ourselves and the world, and how resilience allows us to continue, transform, and find meaning.

My current paintings explore the power of memory and the ways that personal experiences remain present within us, sometimes consciously and sometimes beneath the surface. I am particularly interested in the tension between vulnerability and strength: what we carry, what we remember, what we suppress, and what enables us to heal. Through layered imagery and symbolic language, I consider the ways that individual experiences can speak to something larger and more universal.

Nature is an important source of inspiration in my work. Its colors, organic forms, cycles of growth and decay, and inherent interconnectedness provide a visual and conceptual vocabulary for thinking about human experience. I incorporate silhouettes, original photographs, text, patterns, and imagery drawn from the natural world to create layered spaces that invite both personal reflection and interpretation. These elements function as fragments of memory - pieces that accumulate, overlap, disappear, and resurface - much like memory itself.

I am drawn to visual narrative because it creates space for ambiguity and a deeper looking. Rather than offering a singular interpretation, I want my work to begin a dialogue between the piece and the viewer. I hope these interactions create moments of introspection and recognition, allowing viewers to find their own connections within the work and perhaps to see aspects of their own experiences reflected back to them.

At the heart of my creative practice is a belief in the transformative power of connection. I received my BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and my MFA from the University of New Mexico, and I teach Art Studio courses at the college level. I am also pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with the goal of becoming a licensed therapist. My artistic and counseling practices are deeply interconnected: both are grounded in curiosity about the human experience, empathy, and the desire to create spaces where people can explore, connect, and make meaning.

I am continually learning from both art and life. My goal is to make work with integrity; work that acknowledges vulnerability while honoring resilience, that recognizes the lasting power of memory while remaining open to transformation. Ultimately, my practice is about connection: to ourselves, to one another, and to the experiences that shape who we become. That connection, and the continual process of looking more deeply, is where I find meaning and joy.