ARTIST STATEMENT

I create unbound, open-ended works that invite viewers to lose themselves in the unknown. Before technology, humanity thrived on beliefs and the mysteries of existence. Remember how our ancestors looked at the stars and believed in boundless possibilities—that death was not infinite, but a beginning. To recall a time when our bodies contained, or possibly restrained, our souls. The modern world, in its insatiable drive to tame and categorize, has stripped nature of its mystery, reducing it to something palatable, something to be understood, extracted, and controlled. In doing so, we have lost not only our reverence for the unknown but also the awe and respect that true understanding demands. This loss of mystery is not just external; it is deeply personal. The act of controlling, defining, and restricting extends beyond nature and into our very bodies. Women, too, have been conditioned to shrink, to be quiet, to fit within the confines of what is deemed acceptable. As a 21 year old woman, I look back at my childhood of extreme social anxiety. Taking up space as a woman has always been something I was taught against. Do not make yourself loud or outspoken; instead, be polite and modest. I was a very quiet girl because of this teaching, embedded in me from a young age. But silence does not equal softness, and shrinking does not make one safe. I have been learning to resist this urge to disappear, unlearning the instinct to make myself small. Now, I celebrate taking up and demanding space. In the art world, elements like pinks, patterns, and delicate forms are often dismissed as trivial or decorative, seen as weaker compared to the traditionally "masculine" elements of power, aggression, or darkness. I reject that notion. I use vibrant colors and intricate patterns to explore depth, emotion, and complexity, making what was once considered “soft” into something forceful and commanding. In color, in scale, in movement, I reject the notion that my presence should be subdued. I paint with vibrancy that refuses to be ignored, layering forms that spill beyond the edges of the canvas, expanding, unfixed, and unapologetic. I want to rewrite the way women are taught to exist in the world. Taking up space is an act of resistance, but it is also an act of joy. It is a reminder that I am here, that I always have been, and that I no longer ask permission to be seen. Using uncontrolled acrylic pouring, oil sticks, crayon scribbling, overlapping drawings, and collage, I embrace spontaneity and discovery, reflecting the unpredictability and boundless creativity of nature and our bodies. Just as the natural world resists containment, so too do our identities, expanding beyond imposed boundaries.