Figure Studies, Still Lifes,
& Misc. Projects
In my work, the act of looking, reflecting, and curating my own vision of the world is important.
I began exploring these themes through a series of self-portraits using mirrors called “Reflections” (2020).
The series, both literally and figuratively, reflects on my state of mind during a very painful transitional phase in my life.
In creating each piece, I spent a lot of time taking self-timed photos of myself interacting with the mirror.
Sometimes these interactions were confrontational, angry, and even violent; other times, they were quiet, contemplative, and filled with longing or sadness.
Each image was then translated onto paper through quick black and white gouache studies that often abandoned proper proportions and scale.
In some cases, the mirror disappeared entirely, and the space became a psychological one, juxtaposing figures experiencing internal emotional conflict. This created a psychological mirroring effect.
Masquerade (2019)
In life, we wear many masks. The parts we choose to hide and reveal can be deceiving.
Working grand scale (approximately 5x4ft), I wanted to explore themes of identity and how we choose to reveal and conceal parts of ourselves from the world.
These ideas culminated in a self-portrait where I am holding an intricate mask, partially hiding and exposing myself to the viewer.
This play between hiding and revealing reflects on the idea of fifteenth-century masquerades, where party-goers would wear elaborate masks to conceal their identity.
However, in my modern rendition, I am focusing more on the individual's role in this process and hope to provoke the viewer to ask: What is this person really feeling? What are they really experiencing?
