I live in Oakland, California—a multicultural city worlds away from the small farming village where I grew up in Switzerland. My paintings are informed by many different voices, sounds, smells, and unexpected encounters. Conversations ensue. Memories and thoughts are triggered and shared. Perceptions are challenged. I carry the sensations left by these interactions back into the studio and translate them into paintings. I believe that these conversations continue long after the paintings are completed and have a life of their own.