artist statement
My work has always focused on the beauty and complexities of the human form and its infinite representations. I strive to go beyond a simple physical representation and explore the emotions and personality of my subjects through body language, surrounding environment, expression, relevant color and a variety of unexpected materials. After receiving training in both oil and figurative painting, I gradually migrated towards a more rustic approach to figurative representation, beginning with experimentation in collage that combined painting and paper techniques and eventually moving into mosaic work. I currently fluctuate between the two mediums, incorporating a unique blend of classic and innovative techniques with traditional and unexpected materials
The transition from painting to collage to mosaic has allowed me to explore my love of all things contradictory: the balance between beauty/chaos, rustic/refined, broken/whole. The act of breaking/ripping materials and reconfiguring them to make a newly connected whole is an extremely labor intensive yet satisfying process that connects me to my subjects on a deeper level by building them layer-by-layer and one small piece at a time.
My most recent pieces have focused on reclaimed and recycled supplies. I find great satisfaction in transforming unexpected materials (often discarded trash) and giving them new life as a work of art. My goal is to continue explore new mediums and push the boundaries on what materials and genres constitute fine art.