2009-2021

For over ten years I have been creating work to replicate the fragile yet tough skin. All pieces are wood stain based, sometimes with other mediums. I reminisce about visiting hardware stores with my father as a child or watching my mother stitch in her sewing room. I channel their energy. I connect with them both as I stare at the wide selection of stains on the shelves or when I struggle to push my needles through thick paper. I owe my fascination of painting with nontraditional materials to the both of them.

 

Skin is a noun and a verb. The artwork isn’t just about the surface, but what lies beneath, skinning away to underlying issues such as racism, sex, and cultural influences that come up when speaking of skin. We all hate or love something about our skin, decorating, pampering, piercing, and bruise it. Some wish to avoid the natural aging, trying to keep their skin looking tight, smooth, and forever seeming young, while others embrace it.