ARTIST STATEMENT

The word “community” is derived from the latin root word “communitas,” meaning public spirit. It is my aim to explore the narratives surrounding this idea in the places where I travel and reside. A mission driven by a search for meaning and the artist’s role in uplifting the community.

Coming of age in a diverse middle class suburb of New York City, the grandchild of immigrants on both sides, I grew up with a rose colored image of the melting pot nation. While travel and education have since worked to show me the realities of racial and socioeconomic standings in this country, I have never lost the idyllic vision that an urban adolescence gave me.   A vision of people from many backgrounds and cultures, working together, making a whole better than it’s parts.  A love for people and hope for the future has fueled my interest in portraiture and drives me to elevate my craft as a painter.

My process begins with the desire to tell the stories I wish to see in the world. Whether through watercolor, graphite or paint, I work to build imagery that reflects the human experience and our overarching commonalities. Through the development of layers, either of cut paper or oil paint, I seek to show the complexities of the narratives I explore. Through my work, I try to leverage my abilities to hold a mirror to the communities I serve, seeking to create connections among people, and elevate the public spirit.

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