The main motivation behind my work is human emotion, particularly the more taboo aspects like the Jungian Shadow. It has been a pillar of my work for years, up until my last series of oil paintings, resulting in an immersive solo show that brought on exploration of installation work as well as sculpting and mold-making.
 

My creative process consists of meeting with discomfort and being curious about its wisdom. I intentionally sit with the theme at hand to try to interpret the emotion and message visually. My goal when creating is to bring comfort to myself and others in the internal spaces we usually avoid, with the hopes that at least one person will feel more seen. Ultimately, it is my core belief that the root problems in our world stem from division and lack of understanding ourselves. It is critical to create spaces of unity, and I hope to add my grain of sand in bringing such environments to life.

My one-year residence at the Art & History Museums of Maitland felt like a dream yet stepping into the studio simultaneously felt like a big, intimidating mirror. My time there was as much a confrontation as it was a welcoming and blossoming into a new chapter for myself. I was intentional about honoring the experimentation aspect of the program, and I am still seeing the fruits of that labor. Turns out I had just cracked the door open.

 

My new work involves continued exploration, where emotion is the main protagonist, rather than the storytelling that characterized the series made during my residency. It focuses on the dissociation and deep need for connection with myself and the world around me, which catalyzed the exploration of my relationship with the Shadow in the first place. My aim is to portray the epidemic of distraction and avoidance that we are experiencing, investigating why being present can feel like an insurmountable challenge.