ARTIST STATEMENT

I seek to understand and portray the complexity of the human experience. Our individual stories set us apart. Yet certain emotions and experiences are universal across humanity, even across history. Life and death, pleasure and pain, self-actualization and self-hatred — these core concepts drive my work. 

Art is a way to explore these different facets of human nature. My work focuses on our relationship with ourselves, with society, and ultimately with the world. We are beginning to see the manifestation of the conflicting, dualistic nature of modern society's fractured sense of identity. My generation in particular is hopelessly captivated by a deep longing for mental, emotional, and spiritual liberation. Such dreams may seem far beyond reach, and yet we persist. 

Our perception of reality is fluid. In an increasingly oppressive and volatile world, we yearn for the fantastical, the imaginary, the uninhibited. Through oil painting, I reinterpret our place within an imaginary universe. This space is alive with elements of fantasy and sci-fi — both beautiful and violent — and overflows into the rational and the mundane. At the heart of it all is the delicate balance between escapism, fantasy, and our ultimate reality.