Reciprocity, 2024

Through vivid color and movement, I reveal unseen and internalized truths. As a visual artist bringing together the figurative, the abstract, and the autobiographical, I share the struggles of womanhood and contemporary life. Within my paintings, I dissect childhood traumas, mental wellness, fluctuations of faith, disparities in accessible care, and the stigmas that keep so many women silenced. I coalesce the sentiments from a lifetime of experiences to tell the stories of women, the battles they face, and the resilience they demonstrate. I am a Rare Disease mother, something that I have fought to not let define me, yet it is everything about me. Smith-Magenis Syndrome and its challenges both define me and inspire me.

Mine is a process of experimentation, translating the personal into evocative works of our collective human experiences. In figuration, I allow human forms and faces to meld with colorful floral patterns. Spontaneous abstract mark-making and intricate details add layers to each story. My subjects, symbolism, and radiating spirit manifest through a vibrant palette of color that juxtaposes the tumultuous topics I address. Much like the masks we wear to protect ourselves, the traumas, anxieties, and hidden truths are disguised beneath the entrancing kaleidoscopic colors.

In my abstraction, a language of textures emerges as I allow each medium, material, and technique to flow to allow its own story to unfold intuitively. Reminiscent of the work of Art Brut painter Jean Dubuffet, I allow ordinary substances to add dimensions of materiality to my work. The work pulls from inspirations across time, from cave paintings to modern graffiti, the scientific illustrations of my former career, the art of tattoos, and even the whimsical nature of children’s art, culminating in otherworldly environments bursting with magic. I allow my life’s journey to be imbued within my brushstrokes and the grief and pain to infuse my work with resonating human connectivity.

Reimagining the depths of our realities, I look to forge pathways of connection based on love, empathy, and compassion. They are a reminder that no one’s story is simple. No one is alone in their struggles. The inherent complexities that challenge us also unveil new beauty.