Emergence, 2024

Artist’s Statement

This series of paintings is inspired by the concept of emergence. Emergence has a visceral connection with water: a substance which allows for movement, submergence, and transformation. Water has long served as a symbol of life, wisdom, and the unconscious mind. In the work figures emerge in a variety of forms: from youth to maturity, from embryonic cells to life, from suffering to freedom. The works raise questions surrounding social justice, femininity, community, and intimacy. The paintings are large and layered, a metaphor for the intricate complexities of nature, the human body, and our own emotions.

The works are not only a product of the brush, but of the mu physical interaction with oil paint and canvas. I utilize my height and gestural motion to elicit an experience of embodiment on a two-dimensional surface. My hope is that this connection between the paint and the human body welcomes an experience of affectivity where the viewer is drawn to wonder about the emotions and potential stories of the subjects.