Feathers ; Flowers
Group Exhibition, Prometheus Art Gallery, 2023
Artist Statement Excerpt
This series explores connections between Animal Symbolism and Floriagraphy (the language of flowers). Ravens, swallows and vultures each have their own symbolic, spiritual or superstitious significance in broader communal contexts. Floriagraphy has its own rich and varied history across cultures. In these compositions, the floral symbology is closest to what it was during the Victorian-era, when bouquets could be arranged to send a particular message to their recipient. Rather than sticking to one concept for each bird, the flowers nuance the general symbolism of their feathered counterparts to reflect a deeper emotional resonance.
Collateral Revelations and the space between us
Flagship Gallery, 2018
Artist Statement Excerpt
Pain is something we know well; it is the concrete evidence of a life lived human. Unlike happiness, which we pursue, pain finds us. It shows up at our door unwelcome, laden with sickness, false hope, heartbreak, loss, and leaves us bereft of whatever headway we had in our pursuit of a happy life. And yet, for all the trouble pain causes us, we cannot say it leaves us with nothing. Despite the discomfort, pain can also be a great teacher. Where the rose-tinted glasses of false happiness leave us blind, pain at its best shines a glaring light on those things which stagnate our lives and keep us from living.
Versus
Flagship Gallery, 2015
Artist Statement Excerpt
Can painting about anxiety help me become less anxious? Can staring down loss help me move forward? The answer to questions like these is not a simple one. I can definitely say that capturing hardships in my artwork has helped me to work through some of the most difficult seasons of my life. Acknowledging a negative emotional state is the first step towards correcting it. Some of these pieces describe a specific negative emotion or experience. These pieces exist to force me to reconcile myself with these states of being so I can move past them. Other pieces are my attempt at blatant optimism, and center around my relationship with God.
The Clock Struck One
Redeemer University College, 2012
Artist Statement Excerpt
Rats are sneaky. They can be building an army in the walls of your house and by the time you realize what has happened it's too late. If you think about rats as distractions, and your time as a house, the results can be similar. As you can see, it's not very pretty, but this is not meant to be pretty. It is meant to disturb the viewer. Even as I produced the pieces I found myself disturbed. University is the perfect environment for time-wasting (ask any student and they will likely blush to admit it). As I worked through this project, I found myself confronted by my lack of faithfulness in using my time wisely. My hope is that, uncomfortable though it may be, the viewer will experience the same thing if needed.