“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” William James. Nichols 184.
My drawings are self-portraits and of key individuals that are part of my personal story in discussing the relationship I have with myself, my connection to the ocean and my past experiences that have shaped my present reality. In these pieces, I am exploring and redefining what and how my identity is perceived and understood by society and acknowledging how my physical appearance and ethnic makeup breaks cultural norms, labels and stereotypes. In my work, I seek to find balance between my inner and outer world and make sense of how the two come together. My figurative drawings when compiled become cyclical and tell the story of who and why I am- the painful process of growth, healing and evolving, births, deaths and rebirths. Through the inclusion of the ocean and various spaces that are presented in a dream-like, surreal state, I depict pieces and hints of memories and experiences while attempting to convey their universal, invisible properties- the feelings and emotions that are attached to them. My life journey has been about finding my place in the world as a white passing, mixed individual all while co-existing and traveling between multiple spaces without ever fully being accepted. I am the outsider and this has and will always be my blessing and my curse. My artistic practice is an exploration of my unique, human experience.
My drawings are self-portraits and of key individuals that are part of my personal story in discussing the relationship I have with myself, my connection to the ocean and my past experiences that have shaped my present reality. In these pieces, I am exploring and redefining what and how my identity is perceived and understood by society and acknowledging how my physical appearance and ethnic makeup breaks cultural norms, labels and stereotypes. In my work, I seek to find balance between my inner and outer world and make sense of how the two come together. My figurative drawings when compiled become cyclical and tell the story of who and why I am- the painful process of growth, healing and evolving, births, deaths and rebirths. Through the inclusion of the ocean and various spaces that are presented in a dream-like, surreal state, I depict pieces and hints of memories and experiences while attempting to convey their universal, invisible properties- the feelings and emotions that are attached to them. My life journey has been about finding my place in the world as a white passing, mixed individual all while co-existing and traveling between multiple spaces without ever fully being accepted. I am the outsider and this has and will always be my blessing and my curse. My artistic practice is an exploration of my unique, human experience.