Artist Statement

My sustained investigation started with a simple question and hasn't changed much from its initial form. I knew I wanted to explore something involving spirituality because of my recent exploration of Buddhism and reincarnation quickly presented itself as an idea I could explore, both visually and philosophically, as an art student. The first piece I created with this idea guiding me was "Birth of Venus." I was enthralled by the process of portraiture, something I'd never really done before in previous art classes, and I was equally motivated by the endless possibilities my chosen topic offered. Combinations and permutations were never my strong suit in pre-calculus but in imagining all the possible human faces combined with all potential animal features, I was apt enough to understand that there were nearly infinite options. 

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My endeavors quickly became much less black and white, human versus animal. I began to experiment with visual ambiguity surrounding the features of my creations, forcing debate surrounding whether a specific feature was animal or human. I was inspired by elements of surrealism as pioneered like artists like Dali. A surrealist influence is clear in works like "The Itch," "A Parasitic Acquaintance," and more. Ultimately, my investigation became the pursuit of visual discomfort as a catalyst for contemplation, this discomfort being achieved by the irregularity of my figures. I learned much along the way and have grown immensely as an artist and a person because of this journey.