My paintings and ceramics are often filled with figures, birds, and representations of landscapes with which I’m most familiar. They represent an amalgamation of observed and dreamlike imagery. The figures relate to the idea of self, and act as an avatar or spiritual self-representation. They are posed in awkward and unnatural positions, creating a sense of vulnerability, and their nudity relates to their Edenic surroundings. Through symmetry created by means of composition, duality is addressed through mirroring. Bright colors, visible brushstrokes, and drawing create a world combining imagination and reality.

As a disabled queer person, I’m always thinking about how my experiences relate to the work I’m making. The way that something is seen or experienced is central to me. I’m thinking about the manifestation and idea of belonging in a place. Though vulnerable, the figures I paint are expressive of an optimistic sense of joy or freedom as they explore and connect with their imagined environments.