Statement:

My work centers around the human figure, often exploring gender fluid and androgynous identities through oil paint and charcoal. These mediums allow me to sit with a piece, building it layer by layer, like sculpting in two dimensions—refining edges, softening transitions, and creating subtle variations in mark-making that reflect the complexity of identity and presence. I often begin with thumbnail sketches to develop a composition. The first layers are usually acrylic, allowing for fast, loose and textured underpaintings as a foundation to the subtle richness of oils.

I’m drawn to people who aren’t often centered in traditional portraiture—those whose bodies, expressions, or identities fall outside mainstream narratives. Many of my subjects take up space with unapologetic presence, depicted close-up and isolated from literal settings, their surroundings often abstract or atmospheric. These figures are inspired by real people, either drawn from life or carefully chosen references, whose gestures, clothing, or expressions suggest deeper stories of selfhood and defiance.

Having grown up in a religious culture that preached unconditional love but practiced it with limits, I witnessed firsthand the sorrow and alienation that can arise from rejection and invisibility. My painting practice is both a response to that and a reimagining of what love and acceptance can look like. By bringing overlooked bodies and identities into focus—sometimes inviting connection, sometimes unsettling expectation—I hope to ignite something in the viewer: a spark of recognition, joy, discomfort, or simply a new way of seeing.

Ultimately, I believe the world becomes brighter when we meet others with curiosity and compassion. Through my work, I hope to contribute images that hold space for complexity, celebrate authenticity, and gently challenge the boundaries of who we think deserves to be seen.