My work begins with excavation. I uncover and dig into identities, emotions, and memories buried in my mind. I curiously find fragments rather than linear stories. I use collage to unearth myself by cutting, bending, and taping together candid photos of people places, and nature. These fragmented figures become the foundation for my pieces, where gender, pain, expression, and setting blend and collide.
I translate the hand-sized collages into life-sized artworks. Where I once recreated memories, I now depict how moments feel in my body. Sometimes, I subtract portions of the figure to describe a feeling. My connection to the outdoors appears as nature intertwining with the figure, both a mirror and metaphor.
My practice makes space for discomfort, ambiguity, and contradiction. I hope my work becomes a site where others can recognize and validate their own complex and difficult feelings.
