Mark-making is a constant in my life: on skin, on paper, on canvas. Marks on flesh (scars, tattoos, wrinkles) often reflect an individual’s psychology (confident, defiant, unsure, shielded) and mirror the language of visual art (delicate, violent, corrective, transparent). I am fascinated by the ways we represent and express bodily autonomy, and how our experiences can inform our visual and emotional identity.

Through unapologetic self-portraiture, I show my body as an altar where I tally the events and passions of my life and pay homage to my experiences. These recurring themes of flesh and decorative pattern refer to psychic armor, self-ornamentation, and protective talismans. Painting is how I explore the ways life marks, mars, builds, and breaks us.